Ultra-wide spectral range group velocity dispersion measurement of single-mode fibers using LD-pumped supercontinuum in an optical fiber

We report very wide spectral range (1250 nm-1730 nm) group velocity dispersion measurements utilizing supercontinuum (SC) pulse generation in an optical fiber pumped by amplified gain-switched LD pulses or mode-locked Er³⁺-doped fiber ring laser pulses. The method has the following advantages: (1) ultrawide continuous spectral range for measurements of more than 400 nm by using a single optical source, (2) no assumption of dispersion formula needed, and therefore applicable to fibers with arbitrary dispersion characteristics, (3) applicability to far-end measurement of installed fibers, and (4) a fiber-based configuration. If is shown that the proposed method enables measurements with a resolution of less than 0.01 ps/km for 100-130 km fibers