Optical fiber experiments for undergraduate engineers

This report describes a set of ten experiments designed to introduce undergraduate engineering students to the area of fiber optics. The projects include measurement of pertinent parameters of optical fibers, sources and detectors (the major components of fiber optic systems), the construction of a simple fiber optic communication link, the use of an optical fiber as a sensor of acoustic waves, and the making of a holographic optical element to serve as a fiber coupler. Each experiment is self-contained with subsections relating to theory and experimental practice. Although the experiments are expressly designed for a project-type laboratory, it is hoped that they will prove useful in other situations such as classroom demonstrations. A special effort has been made to employ equipment which might be expected to be in undergraduate engineering departments. Appendices cover the construction of certain useful auxiliary equipment.