Optical fiber component characterization by high-intensity and high-spatial-resolution interferometric optical-time-domain reflectometer

An interferometric optical-time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) is demonstrated. A low-coherence interferometer is used and balanced and narrowband detections are performed. The reflectometer has a detectable limit of -130 dB (which is 10 dB lower than the Rayleigh scattered light power in the fiber) and a spatial resolution of 20 mu m. The modal birefringence of a polarization-maintaining fiber and the coupling characteristics of a fiber coupler are successfully measured from their reflectance profiles. >