Abstract

The accurate prediction of the performance of concatenated lengths of graded-index multimode optical fibers is a basic requirement to meet the industry's need for reliable installations while simultaneously avoiding the over-design for which early fiber systems were noted. At present, the technical community is actively exploring the limits of this technology, trying to determine where multimode fibers best fit into the existing and expected communications system hierarchy. In general, these limits are determined by available fiber performance and by the ability of designers to make full use of this performance. While there is still room for fiber improvement, it is clear that much more work remains to be done to improve predictions of link performance, especially with regard to information transmission capacity. This paper provides a review of the progress toward this goal over the last several years, and highlights present directions.