An integrating sphere-equipped optical measurement device and optical connector polarity and type identification and loss measurement are provided. The optical measurement device includes at least two photodetectors that are optically responsive over different ranges of wavelengths. The optical measurement device receives one or more optical signals emanate from optical fibers of an optical fiber cable. The optical measurement device determines an optical intensity or loss of the one or more optical signals based on a measurement made by a corresponding photodetector whose responsivity range includes a wavelength of the one or more optical signals. The optical measurement device determines one or more respective positions where the one or more optical signals impinged on a sensor. The optical measurement device determines a polarity of the optical fiber cable based on both the one or more positions and one or more or transmitting positions of the one or more optical signals, respectively.

Examples disclosed herein illustrate systems and methods to determine and evaluate the quality of mechanical splices of optical fibers using insertion loss estimation. In at least some of the disclosed systems and methods, an optical fiber termination system may include a reference fiber coupling a light source and a stub fiber of a fiber optic connector, a digital camera sensor and lens to capture images of scattered light emanating from a portion of the fiber optic connector and a portion of the reference fiber both in a field of view (FOV) of the digital camera sensor, and a processor. The processor may analyze digital images of scatter light emitted from at least a portion of the fiber optic connector and the reference fiber to estimate insertion loss at the fiber optic connector.

An optical characteristic of a coupled multi-core optical fiber is evaluated without core alignment, one of plural cores thereof being arranged as a center core at the center of a cladding thereof, a total number of spatial modes being a number of the cores or greater, (a fiber length)(a power coupling coefficient between the cores) being 10 or greater. The coupled multi-core optical fiber is joined to a dummy fiber, having a core at the center of a cladding having the same shape and dimension as those of the coupled multi-core optical fiber, by causing one ends of the fibers to face each other and aligning the fibers with reference to the circumferences of the fibers. Light is launched to the coupled multi-core optical fiber joined to the dummy fiber, and a light measurement unit measures the light passing through the fibers.

A visual inspection system (100, 200) for optical fibers (150) includes at least a pattern source (120, 220A, 220B, 220C, 520); at least a first illumination source (130, 230A, 230B, 230C, 510, 522) to direct light towards an optical fiber (150); and at least a first camera (140, 240A, 240B, 240C, 540) positioned at an opposite side of the fiber (150) from the pattern source (120, 220A, 220B, 220C, 520). At least one image (170, 180, 190) of the optical fiber (150) is taken and a pattern visible through the optical fiber (150) in the image (170, 180, 190) may be analyzed to detect distortions in the pattern.

A method, apparatus and system for minimally intrusive fiber identification includes imparting a time-varying modulation onto an optical signal propagating in an optical fiber and subsequently detecting the presence of the time-varying modulation in the optical signal transmitting through the fiber to identify the fiber. In a specific embodiment of the invention, a time-varying curvature is imposed on the fiber to be identified and the presence of the resultant time variation in the transmitted power of a propagating optical signal is subsequently detected for identification of the manipulated fiber.

An object is to provide a determination device that determines a state of a terminal end portion of a coated optical fiber at any location of the coated optical fiber. Reflection of test light varies in a reflection amount at each wavelength depending on a situation of the terminal end portion of the coated optical fiber. In other words, if the magnitude of the reflection amount at each wavelength can be known, the situation of the terminal end portion of the coated optical fiber can be estimated. The determination device according to the present invention is configured to make test light having a plurality of wavelengths incident from the optical fiber side and determine the test light based on a light intensity ratio of each reflected light beams reflected at the terminal end. In addition, reflection of test light varies in return loss at each wavelength depending on a situation of the terminal end portion of the coated optical fiber. If Rayleigh backscattered light can also be measured when measuring a reflection amount, the return loss can be known for each wavelength, and the situation of the terminal end portion of the coated optical fiber can be estimated from the result. The determination device according to the present invention is configured to make test light having a plurality of wavelengths incident from the optical fiber side and determine the test light based on a return loss at the terminal end.

Disclosed herein is a method including: (i) providing a light transmissive sample including nominally parallel internal facets, which are about perpendicular to an external surface of the sample; (ii) providing an optical element having a refractive index about equal to that of the sample and including an external first surface and an external second surface acutely inclined relative thereto; (iii) positioning the second surface of the optical element adjacent to the first surface of the sample; (iv) impinging light beams on the first surface of the optical element, about normally thereto; (v) sensing light beams, which exit out of the sample following passage of the impinging light beams via the optical element, transmission thereof into the sample, reflection once off the internal facets, and exit out of the sample; and (vi) based on the sensed data, computing a deviation from parallelism between the internal facets.

Disclosed herein is a method including: (i) providing a light transmissive sample including nominally parallel internal facets, which are about perpendicular to an external surface of the sample; (ii) providing an optical element having a refractive index about equal to that of the sample and including an external first surface and an external second surface acutely inclined relative thereto; (iii) positioning the second surface of the optical element adjacent to the first surface of the sample; (iv) impinging light beams on the first surface of the optical element, about normally thereto; (v) sensing light beams, which exit out of the sample following passage of the impinging light beams via the optical element, transmission thereof into the sample, reflection once off the internal facets, and exit out of the sample; and (vi) based on the sensed data, computing a deviation from parallelism between the internal facets.

At least some embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of optical fiber splicing and the evaluation of resulting splice joints. In an embodiment, the present invention is an apparatus for evaluating the integrity of a mechanical splice joint, and comprises a light source, digital video camera, digital signal processor, and visual indicator, wherein the apparatus connects to the test connector and the digital signal processor analyzes digital images of the scatter light from at least a portion of the test connector.

Embodiments herein describe techniques for testing optical components in a photonic chip using a testing structure disposed in a sacrificial region of a wafer. In one embodiment, the wafer is processed to form multiple photonic chips integrated into the wafer. While forming optical components in the photonic chips (e.g., modulators, detectors, waveguides, etc.), a testing structure can be formed in one or more sacrificial regions in the wafer. In one embodiment, the testing structure is arranged near an edge coupler in the photonic chip such that an optical signal can be transferred between the photonic chip and the testing structure. Moreover, the testing structure has a grating coupler disposed at or near a top surface of the wafer which permits optical signals to be transmitted into, or received from, the grating coupler when an optical probe is arranged above the grating coupler.