A novel mode analysis method and differential mode delay (DMD) measurement technique for a multimode optical fiber based on optical frequency domain reflectometry has been proposed for the first time. We have used a conventional OFDR with a tunable external cavity laser and a Michelson interferometer. A few-mode optical multimode fiber was prepared to test our proposed measurement technique. We have also compared the OFDR measurement results with those obtained using a traditional time-domain measurement method.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

1. P. F. Kolesar and D. J. Mazzarese, �??Understanding Multimode Bandwidth and Differential Mode Delay Measurements and Their Applications,�?? in Proc. of the 51st International Wire and Cable Symposium of IWCS Inc., Lake Buena Vista, FL, 453�??460 (2002).
2. C.-A. Bunge, J.-R. Kropp, and K. Petermann, �??Applicability of DMD-Measurements to New 10-Gigabit- Ethernet Fibres,�?? in Proc. 27th Eur. Conf. on Opt. Comm. (ECOC�??01), Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 362�?? 363 (2001).
3. TIA-455-220-A, Differential Mode Delay Measurement of Multimode Fiber in the Time Domain, Telecommunication Industry Association (2003)
4. S. D. Personick, �??Photon probe: An optical-fiber time-domain reflectometer,�?? Bell Syst. Tech. J. 56, 355�?? 366 (1977).
5. D. Derickson, Fiber optic test and measurement, Hewlett-Packard professional books, Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 1998, USA, Chap. 11.
6. R. Pass, N. Gisin, J. P. von der Weid, and H. H. Gilgen, �??Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of Coherent OFDR with Semiconductor Laser Sources,�?? J. Lightwave Technol. 12, 1622�??1630 (1994). [CrossRef]
7. M. Yoshida, K. Nakamura, and H. Ito, �??A New Method for Measurement of Group Velocity Dispersion of Optical Fibers by Using a Frequency-Shifted Feedback Fiber Laser,�?? IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 13, 227�?? 229 (2001). [CrossRef]
8. N. Zou, M. Yoshida, Y. Namibhira and H. Ito, �??PMD measurement based on delayed self-heterodyne OFDR and experimental comparison with ITU-T round robin measurements,�?? Electron. Lett. 38, 115�??116 (2002). [CrossRef]
9. U. Glombitza and E. Brinkmeyer, �??Coherent Frequency-Domain Reflectometry for Characterization of Single-Mode Integrated-Optical Waveguides,�?? J. Lightwave Technol. 11, 1377�??1384 (1993). [CrossRef]
10. L. Raddatz, I. H. White, D. G. Cunningham, and M. C. Nowell, �??An Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Offset Launch Technique for the Enhancement of the Bandwidth of Multimode Fiber Links,�?? J. Lightwave Technol. 16, 324�??331 (1998). [CrossRef]
11. K. Shimizu, T. Horiguchi and Y. Koyamada, �??Measurement of Rayleigh Backscattering in Single-Mode Fibers Based on Coherent OFDR Employing a DFB Laser Diode.�?? IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 3, 1039�??1041 (1991). [CrossRef]

Bell Syst. Tech. J.

• S. D. Personick, �??Photon probe: An optical-fiber time-domain reflectometer,�?? Bell Syst. Tech. J. 56, 355�?? 366 (1977).

ECOC 2001

• C.-A. Bunge, J.-R. Kropp, and K. Petermann, �??Applicability of DMD-Measurements to New 10-Gigabit- Ethernet Fibres,�?? in Proc. 27th Eur. Conf. on Opt. Comm. (ECOC�??01), Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 362�?? 363 (2001).

Electron. Lett.

• N. Zou, M. Yoshida, Y. Namibhira and H. Ito, �??PMD measurement based on delayed self-heterodyne OFDR and experimental comparison with ITU-T round robin measurements,�?? Electron. Lett. 38, 115�??116 (2002). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• M. Yoshida, K. Nakamura, and H. Ito, �??A New Method for Measurement of Group Velocity Dispersion of Optical Fibers by Using a Frequency-Shifted Feedback Fiber Laser,�?? IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 13, 227�?? 229 (2001). [CrossRef]
• K. Shimizu, T. Horiguchi and Y. Koyamada, �??Measurement of Rayleigh Backscattering in Single-Mode Fibers Based on Coherent OFDR Employing a DFB Laser Diode.�?? IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 3, 1039�??1041 (1991). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

• U. Glombitza and E. Brinkmeyer, �??Coherent Frequency-Domain Reflectometry for Characterization of Single-Mode Integrated-Optical Waveguides,�?? J. Lightwave Technol. 11, 1377�??1384 (1993). [CrossRef]
• L. Raddatz, I. H. White, D. G. Cunningham, and M. C. Nowell, �??An Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Offset Launch Technique for the Enhancement of the Bandwidth of Multimode Fiber Links,�?? J. Lightwave Technol. 16, 324�??331 (1998). [CrossRef]
• R. Pass, N. Gisin, J. P. von der Weid, and H. H. Gilgen, �??Experimental and Theoretical Investigations of Coherent OFDR with Semiconductor Laser Sources,�?? J. Lightwave Technol. 12, 1622�??1630 (1994). [CrossRef]

Proc. of 51st IWCS 2002

• P. F. Kolesar and D. J. Mazzarese, �??Understanding Multimode Bandwidth and Differential Mode Delay Measurements and Their Applications,�?? in Proc. of the 51st International Wire and Cable Symposium of IWCS Inc., Lake Buena Vista, FL, 453�??460 (2002).

Other

• TIA-455-220-A, Differential Mode Delay Measurement of Multimode Fiber in the Time Domain, Telecommunication Industry Association (2003)
• D. Derickson, Fiber optic test and measurement, Hewlett-Packard professional books, Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 1998, USA, Chap. 11.

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