Multipath interference in connectors and components: Evaluation and design hints

This work discusses the phenomenon of multipath interference in bend-insensitive optical fibers and components that arises when these devices work at wavelengths approaching the multimode regime. After recalling the rationale behind this study and some technical hints about the measurement setup, the paper focuses on the characterization of field-installable connectors and optical fiber splitters that are used in passive optical networks. It is shown that these components exhibit non-negligible, yet acceptable, levels of multipath interference at wavelengths shorter than 1300 nm and sets an outlook about their impact on access networks.