Optical-Fiber Power Meter Comparison Between NIST and PTB.

Area of Science:

• Optical metrology
• Radiometry
• Fiber optics

Background:

• Accurate optical power measurements are crucial for telecommunications and sensing.
• International intercomparisons ensure consistency of national measurement standards.
• Thermal detectors are primary standards for optical power realization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare optical power reference standards between NIST (USA) and PTB (Germany).
• To assess the agreement of national standards at key telecommunication wavelengths (1300 nm and 1550 nm).
• To validate the use of a novel optical trap detector as a transfer standard.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an optical-fiber cable for measurements at 1300 nm and 1550 nm.
• Employed thermal detectors as reference standards in both NIST and PTB.
• Used a novel temperature-controlled optical trap detector as a transfer standard for intercomparison.

Main Results:

• Measurement results from NIST and PTB showed differences below 1.5 × 10⁻³.
• The observed differences were within the combined standard uncertainties of both laboratories.
• This indicates high agreement and consistency between the two national metrology institutes.

Conclusions:

• The optical power measurement standards at NIST and PTB are in excellent agreement at 1300 nm and 1550 nm.
• The novel optical trap detector is suitable as a transfer standard for intercomparing optical power measurements.
• This intercomparison reinforces confidence in global optical power metrology for fiber optic applications.