Performance of telecommunication-grade multimode fiber at 780 nm

Presents the physics of graded-index multimode fiber and test results that demonstrate 780-nm compact disc (CD) lasers operating at the high speeds (266 Mb/s) and moderate distances ( approximately 2 km) for data communications. The test results include fiber characterizations of bandwidth and attenuation, and system performance testing of bit error rate measurements and eye closure characterization. The predictability of 780-nm performance from existing characterization at the traditional wavelengths of 850 and 1300 nm is sufficiently precise to permit the conservativeness necessary for standardization. Telecommunication-grade 50- mu m fiber is ideally suited to this application because commercial pressures have caused 62.5- mu m fiber to be optimized for 1300-nm light emitting diode (LED) operation.< >