High-resolution differential mode delay measurement for a multimode optical fiber using a modified optical frequency...

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Telecommunications Technology
• Metrology

Background:

• Differential Mode Delay (DMD) is a critical parameter affecting data transmission quality in multimode optical fibers.
• Accurate DMD measurement is essential for characterizing and deploying high-speed optical networks.
• Existing time-domain measurement methods have limitations in resolution and accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel differential mode delay (DMD) measurement technique for multimode optical fibers.
• To achieve high-resolution DMD measurements using optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR).
• To compare the performance of the proposed OFDR technique against traditional time-domain methods.

Main Methods:

• A modified optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) setup was developed.
• The OFDR system utilized a Mach-Zehnder interferometer structure.
• A tunable external cavity laser and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer were employed for high-resolution measurements.

Main Results:

• A high-resolution DMD value of 0.054 ps/m was obtained for a 50 m commercial multimode optical fiber.
• The proposed OFDR technique demonstrated a DMD resolution more than an order of magnitude better than conventional time-domain methods.
• Measurement results were validated through comparison with traditional time-domain techniques.

Conclusions:

• The novel OFDR-based technique provides a significant advancement in DMD measurement resolution for multimode optical fibers.
• This method offers superior performance compared to existing time-domain approaches.
• The proposed technique is a promising tool for precise optical fiber characterization and network deployment.