BOTDA-based Technique for Measuring Maximum Loss and Crosstalk at Splice Point in Few-mode Fibers

Abstract

We propose a technique based on Brillouin optical time domain analysis for measuring loss and crosstalk in few-mode fibers (FMFs). The proposed technique extracts the loss and crosstalk of a specific mode in FMFs from the Brillouin gains and Brillouin gain coefficients measured under two different conditions in terms of the frequency difference between the pump and probe lights. The technique yields the maximum loss and crosstalk at a splice point by changing the electrical field injected into an FMF as the pump light. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed technique can measure the maximum loss and crosstalk of the LP₁₁ mode at a splice point in a two-mode fiber.