I am trying to model fiber optic sensors in Zemax and for beam delivery my model contains a single mode fiber, which consists of the Cylinder Volume 2 type. I entered the exact physical properties for the diameter of the core and cladding and refractive indices for different wavelengths to even take dispersion into account. As the light source, I placed a Source Point object in front of the fiber core, with a semi-cone angle slightly below what the NA of the fiber can accept. At the fiber exit, I can see a ray fan that corresponds to what you can expect from a fiber with this NA.

My question is, how long should I set the length of my fiber model to ensure that a 'true' single mode (or TEM00) unfolds at the end of the fiber? Currently, I have set 5 mm, and the result looks reasonable, but I want to know if there is a theoretical minimum and an equation for me to calculate the length and avoid any model uncertainties.

I am happy to receive the community's support.

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