Abstract

A sensitive, quick, and nondestructive method to assess the short range geometrical uniformity of optical fibers is presented. The technique is based on an analysis of the backscattered light arising from a beam that is incident at right angles to the fibers axis and is capable of measuring diameter variations on the order of 0.1 μm. Geometric perturbations arising in selected fibers pulled with oxy-hydrogen torch, electric furnace, and CO₂-laser techniques are shown in an almost instantly read snapshotlike form. The production and detection of intentionally introduced short range diameter variations are also demonstrated.

© 1977 Optical Society of America

Contamination of furnace-drawn silica fibers

P. Kaiser
Appl. Opt. 16(3) 701-704 (1977)

Optical fiber coating concentricity: measurement and analysis

D. Marcuse and H. M. Presby
Appl. Opt. 16(9) 2383-2390 (1977)

Mode dependent attenuation in parabolic optical fibers

R. Olshansky and D. A. Nolan
Appl. Opt. 16(6) 1639-1641 (1977)

Ellipticity measurement of optical fibers

H. M. Presby
Appl. Opt. 15(2) 492-494 (1976)

High-speed noncontact fiber-diameter measurement using forward light scattering

D. H. Smithgall, L. S. Watkins, and R. E. Frazee
Appl. Opt. 16(9) 2395-2402 (1977)