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Encircled Flux-based optimized simple launch condition for standardization of multimode polymer optical waveguide
Freddy Susanto Tan1, Okihiro Sugihara, Toshikuni Kaino
1Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan. fs-tan@tagen.tohoku.ac.jp
Optics Express
|December 18, 2010
Summary
Inconsistent multimode polymer optical waveguide evaluations using standard fibers and LEDs are improved with an optimized light launch. This cost-effective method ensures stable, reproducible insertion loss measurements, exceeding international standards.
Area of Science:
- Optical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Multimode polymer optical waveguide evaluations often yield inconsistent results due to over-filled launch light from multimode optical fiber (MMF) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) configurations.
- This inconsistency hinders reliable standardization and performance assessment of these optical components.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and validate an optimized, simple launch configuration for consistent multimode polymer optical waveguide evaluations.
- To ensure the launch light's encircled flux (EF) profile meets International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards.
Main Methods:
- Developed a stable, optimized launch configuration using standard optical fibers and adaptors.
- Characterized the launch light's encircled flux (EF) profile against the IEC template.
- Evaluated the configuration's reliability by measuring insertion loss (IL) reproducibility on two distinct waveguide samples.
Main Results:
- The optimized launch configuration achieved an optimal-filled launch light satisfying the IEC's EF template.
- Insertion loss measurements demonstrated high reproducibility, with a maximum variation of less than 5% across two different waveguide samples.
- This performance surpasses the IEC's acceptable variation limit of 10%.
Conclusions:
- The proposed simple and cost-effective launch configuration provides a stable and reliable method for standardizing multimode polymer optical waveguide evaluations.
- This approach effectively overcomes the inconsistencies associated with traditional MMF-LED setups, offering improved measurement accuracy and reproducibility.
