Encircled Angular Flux Representation of the Modal Power Distribution and Its Behavior in a Step Index Multimode Fiber

The optical properties of inline optical components inserted at the input to a multimode optical fiber (MMF) strongly affect the propagating modal power distribution (MPD). To realize stable systems with predictable reproducible performance and to encourage widespread use of MMF systems, improvements to the system design process and to the characterization process need to be made and new interface standards need to be defined. To this end, we have developed a new reproducible MPD measurement and representation together with its theoretical definition. By modifying the encircled flux (EF) representation, which is based on the near-field pattern of a graded-index multimode optical fiber (GI-MMF), we define the encircled angular flux (EAF) for step-index multimode optical fibers (SI-MMFs) based on their far-field patterns (FFPs). Using a SI-MMF, which is used for low cost short distance interconnects, as an example, we show the changes in the MPD along the fiber, reveal an unusual insertion loss-increasing phenomenon due to the evanescent tails of the core modes extending into the cladding, and characterize the equilibrium mode distribution (EMD) in the fiber. The EAF representation enables these phenomena to be quantified. We also propose an EAF template that consists of the target EMD and its tolerance. If device system designers use the EAF template to set the launch conditions, they can perform a fair assessment of the components, and they can design the system performance even if some components are replaced with others from a different supplier manufactured by a different method. We call this concept “Total MPD Management.”