Methods for estimating the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) of laser optimized Multimode Fiber (MMF) at a specified wavelength, λ.sub.S, based on the measured EMB at a first reference measurement wavelength, λ.sub.M. In these methods the Differential Mode Delay (DMD) of a MMF is measured and the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) is computed at a first measurement wavelength. By extracting signal features such as centroids, peak power, pulse widths, and skews, as described in this disclosure, the EMB can be estimated at a second specified wavelength with different degrees of accuracy. The first method estimates the EMB at the second specified wavelength based on measurements at the reference wavelength. The second method predicts if the EMB at the second specified wavelength is equal or greater than a specified bandwidth limit.

Methods for estimating the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) of laser optimized Multimode Fiber (MMF) at a specified wavelength, λ.sub.S, based on the measured EMB at a first reference measurement wavelength, λ.sub.M. In these methods the Differential Mode Delay (DMD) of a MMF is measured and the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) is computed at a first measurement wavelength. By extracting signal features such as centroids, peak power, pulse widths, and skews, as described in this disclosure, the EMB can be estimated at a second specified wavelength with different degrees of accuracy. The first method estimates the EMB at the second specified wavelength based on measurements at the reference wavelength. The second method predicts if the EMB at the second specified wavelength is equal or greater than a specified bandwidth limit.

The invention concerns a method for characterizing mode group properties of multimodal light traveling through an optical component, comprising: launching a reference pulse of light with a wavelength λ.sub.t from a light source into said optical component, collecting light signal output by said optical component into a Mode Group Separating optical fiber; detecting light signal output by said Mode Group Separating optical fiber. The Mode Group Separating optical fiber is a multimode fiber with an α-profile graded index core with an α-value chosen such that said fiber satisfies the following criterion at the wavelength λ.sub.t: $\frac{.Math.\mathrm{\Delta \tau }.Math..L}{\Delta T_{\mathrm{REF}}}>4$
where: Δτ is a time delay difference between consecutive mode groups; L is a length of said fiber; ΔT.sub.REF is a Full Width at Quarter Maximum of said reference pulse.

A method for determining if a graded-index glass optical multimode fiber has a refractive index profile that will compensate modal dispersion with chromatic dispersion when used in an optical channel having a multimode vertical cavity surface emitting laser has at least two weighting functions. The functions are used to compute the relative mode group delays over two radial offset regions within the core of the optical fiber. The peak group delay of the of the higher-order fiber mode distribution is less than the peak group delay of the lower-order mode distribution.

Methods for estimating the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) of laser optimized Multimode Fiber (MMF) at a specified wavelength, λ.sub.S, based on the measured EMB at a first reference measurement wavelength, λ.sub.M. In these methods the Differential Mode Delay (DMD) of a MMF is measured and the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) is computed at a first measurement wavelength. By extracting signal features such as centroids, peak power, pulse widths, and skews, as described in this disclosure, the EMB can be estimated at a second specified wavelength with different degrees of accuracy. The first method estimates the EMB at the second specified wavelength based on measurements at the reference wavelength. The second method predicts if the EMB at the second specified wavelength is equal or greater than a specified bandwidth limit.

An on-wafer testing mechanism includes multiple waveguides and test structures disposed on a wafer. Light sources are coupled to the wafer and provide beams of light to the structures disposed on the wafer by propagating the light through the wafer. In response to receiving at least a portion of a beam of light, a test structure is configured to guide the light to an exit location on the test structure. As light exits a test structure, a conoscope determines the diffraction efficiency of the test structure based on a measurement taken of the light exiting the test structure.

Monitoring device monitors an optical transmission line by using electric field information signal indicating an electric field of received optical signal. The monitoring device includes a processor. The processor sequentially compensates for first chromatic dispersion among chromatic dispersion of the optical fiber transmission line, nonlinear distortion of the optical fiber transmission line, and remaining chromatic dispersion among the chromatic dispersion in the electric field information signal to generate a reference signal indicating the electric field of the optical signal in the transmitter node. The processor detects, in the electric field information signal, second distortion different from the nonlinear distortion. The processor processes the reference signal based on the second distortion to generate a second reference signal. The processor calculates, based on a correlation between the compensated electric field information signal and the second reference signal, optical power corresponding to the first chromatic dispersion.

Methods for estimating the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) of laser optimized Multimode Fiber (MMF) at a specified wavelength, λ.sub.S, based on the measured EMB at a first reference measurement wavelength, λ.sub.M. In these methods the Differential Mode Delay (DMD) of a MMF is measured and the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) is computed at a first measurement wavelength. By extracting signal features such as centroids, peak power, pulse widths, and skews, as described in this disclosure, the EMB can be estimated at a second specified wavelength with different degrees of accuracy. The first method estimates the EMB at the second specified wavelength based on measurements at the reference wavelength. The second method predicts if the EMB at the second specified wavelength is equal or greater than a specified bandwidth limit.

A method of characterizing a multimode optical fiber results in a measure of estimated modal bandwidth (EMB) that is independent of the bandwidth of the light used in the characterization. The method includes propagating pulses of light along the multimode optical fiber at prescribed radial positions relative to an optical axis of the multimode optical fiber and detecting output pulses from the multimode optical fiber corresponding to the pulses of light propagated along the multimode optical fiber at the prescribed radial positions relative to the optical axis of the multimode optical fiber. An estimated modal bandwidth of the multimode optical fiber is calculated in a manner that accounts for chromatic dispersion of the multimode optical fiber.

A digital processor (DP) is configured to obtain a temporal sequence of digital phase distortion measurements of a first optical signal received by a coherent optical receiver (COR) from an optical fiber link, where the first optical signal co-propagates with a second, power-modulated, optical signal in different frequency channels. The DP is configured to estimate a cross-correlation between the temporal sequence of digital measurements and a temporal sequence of powers of the second optical signal for a plurality of relative time shifts between the sequences, and to identify a location along the optical fiber link based on a magnitude of the cross-correlation exceeding a threshold for a particular time shift.