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Top1. Introduction
Loss introduced by bends in optical fibers has been recognized as a factor which contributes to the attenuation of the optical signal transmitted along an optical fiber (Marcuse, 1976; Berthold, 1995; Lagakos, Cole, & Bucaro 1987; Arya, Murphy, Wang, Claus 1995; Al-Aruri, 1991; Boechat, Hall & Jones, 1991; Donlagic, 2009; Schermer & Cole, 2007). Decreasing the optical fiber bend radius increases the transmitted signal loss due to the transfer of power from the guided modes to the radiation modes supported by the core of the fiber. Considerable theoretical and experimental research has been conducted on the subject of wavelength dependence of bend loss in single-mode optical fibers (Marcuse, 1976; Berthold, 1995; Lagakos et al., 1987; Arya et al., 1995). However, due to the complex nature of bend loss in multimode fibers there are few publications in this area (Schermer et al., 2007; Kao, 1982; Snyder, White & Mitchell, 1975). The two mathematical models proposed by Kao (1982) and Snyder (1975) are two examples of theoretical models dealing with the subject matter of bend loss in multimode fibers.
The primary goal of this paper is to examine the wavelength dependence of bend loss in multimode fibers at low power levels (< 10 mW) and to compare experimental measurements to the values predicted by Kao’s model. Here, it is worth noting that Kao’s model was selected for modeling the bend loss in multimode optical fibers as a function of wavelength because of its simplicity.