Propagation constant-based diameter measurement technique for a submicrometer-scale optical fiber

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Accurate measurement of submicrometer optical fiber diameter is essential for determining physical properties.
• Existing measurement techniques may lack the required precision for submicrometer fibers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and verify a novel, high-precision method for measuring the diameter of submicrometer optical fibers.
• To leverage waveguide theory and near-field light phenomena for accurate diameter determination.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing the pitch of a standing-wave near-field light generated by counter-propagating light within the fiber.
• Employing scanning near-field optical microscopy to measure the standing-wave pitch along the fiber axis.
• Solving the optical fiber eigenvalue equation to derive the fiber diameter from the measured pitch.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a novel diameter measurement technique for submicrometer optical fibers.
• Achieved a high-precision measurement of approximately 0.50 µm for the optical fiber diameter.
• Validated the feasibility of the proposed technique through experimental verification.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method offers a novel and accurate approach to submicrometer optical fiber diameter measurement.
• This technique is derived from waveguide theory and utilizes standing-wave near-field light.
• The experimental results confirm the potential for high-precision measurements vital for optical fiber characterization.