Differential group refractive index dispersion of glasses of optical fibres measured by a white-light spectral interferometric technique

摘要

We report on a white-light interferometric technique employing a low-resolution spectrometer to measure the differential group refractive index of glasses of optical fibres over a wide wavelength range. The technique utilizes an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a fibre under test of known length inserted in one of the interferometer arms and the other arm with adjustable path length. We record a series of spectral interferograms to measure the equalization wavelength as a function of the path length difference, or equivalently the group dispersion. Subtracting the group dispersion of the optical components present in the interferometer along with the fibre, we measure the wavelength dependence of differential group refractive index for pure silica and SK222 glasses. We confirm that the differential group dispersion measured for pure silica glass agrees well with that described by the dispersion equation.