Chromatic dispersion is a well-known technical challenge in optical
interferometry, and the issue is exacerbated when using optical fibers
for beam transport. The important sources of chromatic dispersion in a
fiber-coupled optical interferometer are investigated using a
Mach–Zehnder interferometer operating between 975–1650 nm, with
particular attention paid to various dispersive effects in fibers. The
compensation of chromatic dispersion is also investigated, and a
compensation strategy using bulk glass and fiber stretching is
described. A notional dispersion budget is presented for a
fiber-coupled interferometer operating in the near infrared, showing
that dispersion can be compensated to the
λ
/
20
RMS level over a nearly 700 nm wide
bandpass.