Abstract

Characterization of the wavelength dependence of fiber chromatic dispersion is crucial to optical-fiber communication. This parameter has previously been determined by using time-of- flight, phase-shift, interferometric, or mode-field-diameter measurements.¹ We report a simple new technique that uses a tunable erbium-doped fiber-ring laser² with an intracavity test fiber and a lightwave-spectrum analyzer. This technique is particularly useful for characterizing the erbium-doped fiber (EDF) and other components of mode-locked fiber lasers in which control of the total laser dispersion is imperative.

© 1993 Optical Society of America