This paper describes the variable aperture measurement technique for Mode Field Diameter (MFD) in 1300 nm optimized single-mode fiber. Measurement of macrobending induced loss correlates well with theory for both depressed and matched clad singlemode fiber designs. No significant difference in bending loss is found between depressed and matched clad fibers with the same MFD. For bending radii of 8 mm or smaller, the larger MFD fiber yields significantly high bending loss (>1 dB/cm). The bending loss is negligible for bending radii greater than 14 mm. For datacom applications, it is desirable to select small MFD to avoid excess bending loss.

Date Published: 1 February 1991
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 1366, Fiber Optics Reliability: Benign and Adverse Environments IV, (1 February 1991); doi: 10.1117/12.24704

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1366:
Fiber Optics Reliability: Benign and Adverse Environments IV
Roger A. Greenwell; Dilip K. Paul, Editor(s)