Fast, accurate and simple method for measuring the chromatic dispersion of optical fibers using a single-arm interferometer and a frequency comb

• A novel method for measuring optical-fiber chromatic dispersion is proposed. • The single-arm optical interferometer and fiber femtosecond frequency comb are used. • A simple analytical expression is derived for the chromatic dispersion parameter (D). • The dispersion slope makes a notable contribution when the D parameter is different from zero. We propose and study a novel method for measuring the chromatic dispersion parameter ( D ) of optical fibers by means of a single-arm three-wave interferometer (SAI) and a fiber femtosecond frequency comb (FFFC). The FFFC is frequency locked to a single-ytterbium-ion optical standard and employed as a source of highly stable and broadband laser radiation. The FFFC spectrum ranges from 1 to 2 μm, which is the most demanded range in fiber optics. The theoretical model developed in the work is used to derive simple analytical expressions for the parameter D , taking into account the dispersion slope (DS). To verify the method, the parameter D is measured for a standard single-mode SMF-28 fiber with a length of 1.23 m. At a wavelength of 1550 nm, the value of D has been found to be approximately 16.6 ps/(nm∙km) with taking into account the DS. The root mean square error of measurements is 0.86 ps/(nm∙km). Another key feature of the method is that it enables accurate measurements of the parameter D across a broad spectral range in a relatively short time. All these features make the proposed method very attractive for a wide scope of applications in fiber-optic technology.