Curvature loss in multimode optical fibers

An extension is derived of a bending-loss-coefficient equation derived by Marcuse [ J. Opt. Soc. Am.66, 216 ( 1976)]. The original derivation employed approximations that limited the loss formula to low-order modes. We develop a closed-form integral and an algorithm for an approximate integral that allow loss coefficients to be computed for high-order modes. The overall loss of a multimode fiber is then analyzed by making simple assumptions about the power distribution among the modes of a fiber.