Open AccessCapturing a reflective cross-sectional image of an optical fiber with partially coherent laser light to measure the refractive index profile of a multimode optical fiber
Author(s) -
Fang-Wen Sheu,
Heng-Jian Jhang
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.21.002408
Subject(s) - multi mode optical fiber , optics , graded index fiber , materials science , normalized frequency (unit) , step index profile , polarization maintaining optical fiber , optical fiber , photonic crystal fiber , refractive index , fiber laser , laser , refractive index profile , fiber optic sensor , physics , phase locked loop , frequency synthesizer , phase noise
We focused partially coherent laser light onto an optical fiber end-face and captured a high-quality reflective cross-sectional image of the fiber. By analyzing the reflected light intensity distribution of the captured fiber image, we can achieve refractive-index profiling of a step-index multimode optical fiber. The measurement error caused by the reflected light from the other fiber end-face positioned in air can be greatly improved by inserting that end of the fiber into water. This simple and easy technique for fiber index profiling by employing reduced-coherence laser light is very useful in determining the refractive index profiles of various multimode optical fibers.