Effects of fiber manipulation methods on optical fiber properties

Robert O. Reynolds; Andrew Bechter; Jonathan Crass

doi:10.1117/12.2234306

22 July 2016 Effects of fiber manipulation methods on optical fiber properties

Robert O. Reynolds, Andrew Bechter, Jonathan Crass

Proceedings Volume 9912, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation II; 991256 (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2234306
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

Optical fibers are routinely used to couple high-resolution spectrographs to modern telescopes, enabling important advantages in areas such as the search for extrasolar planets using spectroscopic radial velocity measurements of candidate stars. Optical fibers partially scramble the input illumination, and this feature enables a fiber feed to provide more uniform illumination to the spectrograph optics, thereby reducing systematic errors in radial velocity measurements. However fibers suffer from focal ratio degradation (FRD), a spreading of the beam at the output of the fiber with respect to that at the fiber input, which results in losses in throughput and resolution. Modal noise, a measurement uncertainty caused by inherent fiber properties and evident as a varying spatial intensity at the fiber exit plane, reduces the signal to noise ratio in the data. Devices such as double scramblers are often used to improve scrambling, and better fiber end preparation can mitigate FRD. Many instruments agitate the fiber during an observation to reduce modal noise, and stretching the fiber during use has been shown to offer a greater reduction in that noise. But effects of agitation and stretching on fiber parameters such as total transmission and focal ratio degradation have not been adequately studied. In this paper we present measurements of transmission loss and focal ratio degradation for both agitated and stretched fibers.

Citation Download Citation

Robert O. Reynolds, Andrew Bechter, and Jonathan Crass "Effects of fiber manipulation methods on optical fiber properties", Proc. SPIE 9912, Advances in Optical and Mechanical Technologies for Telescopes and Instrumentation II, 991256 (22 July 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2234306

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KEYWORDS

Signal to noise ratio

Optical fibers

Spectrographs

Interference (communication)

Sensors

Speckle pattern

Diffusers

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