Optical fiber diameter measurement by the diffraction method with digital processing of the light scattering indicatrix

Abstract

Relations between the position of the first diffraction minima and the fiber diameter are derived based on the solution of the problem of electromagnetic wave diffraction on a transparent fiber with a circular cross section. The obtained formulas are used to measure the fiber diameter. The diffraction pattern is recorded with a digital camera. The obtained image is digitally processed to determine the positions of the first two scattering indicatrix minima.