Optical Fibers Profiling Using Interferometric and Digital Holographic Methods

Optical fibers are extensively used in modern technology such as sensing, short-
distance and long-distance telecommunications. This motivated many researchers
to present different methods in order to characterize optical fibers and determine
their refractive index profiles. In addition, variation of refractive index profiles of
optical fibers suffering mechanical stresses or other external effects reflects good
information about the internal structure of these fibers and how they are
responding to these external effects. Optical interferometry and digital holography
methods are accurate and effective tools used to achieve this task. In this chapter,
we illustrate the application of different types of optical interference on conven-
tional, polarizing maintaining and thick optical fibers. Also, we illustrate some
mathematical interpretations (and recently automatic analyzing of interference
patterns) that have been used to reconstruct the accurate refractive index profiles of
optical fibers. Some experimental interferograms and refractive index profiles are
demonstrated as well.