Backscattering signatures from optical fibers with differential mode attenuation

The effect of differential mode attenuation (DMA) on backscattering signatures of multimode graded-index fibers is investigated experimentally and theoretically. Differential mode attenuation curves are determined for various commercial fibers and subsequently used to predict the backscattering response of the fibers. Theory and experiment indicate that only small variations in the local backscatter attenuation coefficient appear between various mode-filtered excitations of a given fiber.