Technical report centers on fiber connector end-face appearance

OFS has released a technical report regarding "the Halo Effect" as it pertains to understanding the end-face appearance of the company's LaserWave Flex bend-optimized multimode fiber.

OFS contends that its LaserWave Flex 50-micron multimode fiber provides improved bending performance at tight radii by confining “higher order” modes -- those operating closer to the core/clad interface -- that normally escape from standard multimode fiber under bent conditions. To do this, the company has modified the fiber cladding area surrounding the fiber's core to include a trench that prevents light from escaping.

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According to OFS, this trench area is carefully designed to properly confine and control this light in order to maintain excellent system performance and low connection loss, even when mated to standard 50-micron multimode fiber. Because of this trench, careful inspection of the fiber’s end-face (usually conducted with a fiber scope after connectorization) will reveal a difference from standard multimode fiber.

View the full technical report here.

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