Update on optical component reliability and testing requirements

Optical component reliability, as underway in international standards, is reviewed. In optical communications, the reliability functions of fiber and optoelectronic semiconductor transceivers, has been extensively studied and modeled for some time. The mechanisms causing failure for these are relatively well known. The mechanisms in other items such as passive optical components, optical amplifiers, or dynamic components (that are optically passive but electrically active) are not nearly as well understood.