Determining the mode-field diameter of single-mode optical fiber: An interlaboratory comparison

The National Bureau of Standards, in cooperation with the Electronic Industries Association, conducted an interlaboratory measurement comparison among fiber manufacturers. Evaluated were transverse splice offset, near-field, far-field, and variable aperture far-field methods for determining mode-field diameter. Measurements were performed on five single-mode fibers at both 1300- and 1550-nm wavelengths. At 1300 nm, agreement was fairly good with the average one standard deviation being 0.15 μm for mode-field diameters in the8-11 mum range. Distinct systematic differences among various techniques were observed at 1550 nm where mode distributions are not as Gaussian.