Fiber Optics & Optoelectronics:

Basics
BITS Pilani
Pilani Campus

RAHUL SINGHAL

ADVANTAGES

Too Much information

The internet lives on beams of light.

One hair thin glass fiber can carry as much data as thousands of copper wires.
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Light Transmission
Speed of propagation in a medium

v c

Photon Energy

Frequency

E hc

2f 2c
c = 299 792 458 m/s
h= 6.62606957 10-34 m2kg/s
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Index of Refraction
Speed of EM waves in a medium depends on
interactions with Electric Field and Magnetic Field

cvacuum

cmaterial

= r0, r is the relative permittivity of the

material, and 0 = 8.8541878176 1012 F/m is
the vacuum permittivity
r = /0, where 0 = 4 107 N A2.
Permeability is measured in henries per meter
(Hm1), or newtons per ampere squared
(NA2).
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Refractive Index

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Ray Propagation
Fiber Optics

Snells Law

n2

n1

n1 sin(1 ) n2 sin(2 )
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Critical Angle and Total Internal Reflection

Critical Angle (1) occurs at 2=90

critical a sin n2 n

For angles larger than the critical angle, have total

internal reflection (TIR)

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Refractive Index,

Snells Law, n1 sin 1 n2 sin 2

c
v

Critical Angle,
sin c

n2
n1

n2
n1

n2
n1

2=90
1=c

n2
n1

Total Internal Reflection

1>c

Total Internal Reflection

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Critical Angle, Acceptance Cone, NA

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na sin m n1 sin m n1 cos c

(n12 n22 )1/ 2
cos c
n1
n12 n22

2n12

NA na sin m n1 cos c (n12 n22 )1/ 2

NA (n12 n22 )1/ 2 n1 2

L Ln
t1 1
v
c

L / cos m
Ln1
Ln1
Ln1
Ln12
t2

v
c cos m c sin c c(n2 / n1 ) cn2

Ln12 Ln1 Ln1 n1 n2

T t2 t1

cn2
c
c n2
T n1 n1 n2

L
n2 c

For Graded Index Fiber,

1/ 2

r for r a
n1 n0 1 2
n( r )
a

1/ 2

n
1

nc for b r a
0
2

To appreciate ray propagation in GI Fiber,

visualize fiber as been made up of several
coaxial cylinders where RI of central cylinder is
highest and decreases for every successive
cylindrical layer.
Meridional ray takes a curved path due to
multiple refractions at successive RI interfaces.
Multipath dispersion in GI fibers is less than SI
fibers.
Rays near core axis travel shorter paths.
Parabolic profile ( = 2) ensures minimum
multipath dispersion.

G.652 https://www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-G.652/en

For Graded Index Fiber, NA (n12 n22 )1/ 2

2
r
n0 1 2
a

r
n0 21 2
a
2

2
n0 1 2

1/ 2

1/ 2

The velocity of rays near axis will be less than

that of Meridional rays because axial rays
have to travel trough high RI region (v = c/n).
If refractive index profile is chosen such that
time taken by Axial and Meridional ray are
same, then multipath dispersion will be
negligible.
Parabolic RI profile reduces dispersion
considerably.

DISPERSION

1.
2.
3.
4.

Modal/Multipath Dispersion
Material Dispersion
Waveguide Dispersion
Chromatic Dispersion (1+2)

Material Dispersion
Refractive index,
& Phase velocity

v vp c / n

vp /

where,

2f

&

In terms of wave theory, v is phase

velocity vp of the wave in medium.

Angular frequency in radians per sec.

where,

is propagation constant ; m is wavelength of light in medium; is free space wavelength

Thus,

vp c / n /

or,

Any signal superposed onto a wave does not propagate with phase velocity but travels
with a group velocity.
Group Velocity,
In non-dispersive medium,

1
vg d / d
d / d

v p vg as v p

But in dispersive medium, vp is a function of .

1
vg
d / d
Thus, a light pulse, will travel with vg in core of fiber.
Group index,

ng c / v g

Group index, in terms of phase index or ordinary refractive index,

d
d n
d
ng c
c
( )
(n )
d
d c
d
dn
n
d

dn dn d

.
d d d

Since,

&,

2c

d
2c
2
d

We have,

dn
2c dn 2
dn

n
ng n
n
d
d 2c
d
Thus,

c
c
vg

ng (n dn )
d

A light pulse will travel through core a length L in time t,

dn

n d L
t L / vg
c
If light source has a wavelength spread of , the pulse will spread over a time t.

dt
L dn dn
d 2n
t

2
d
c d d
d
L d 2n
2
c d
Relative spectral width,

Pulse broadening due to material dispersion,

in terms of half power width, .

L 2 d 2n

c
d2

Pulse broadening per unit length,

The material dispersion of
optical fibers is quoted
in terms of the material
dispersion parameter, Dm
given by

1 d 2n
Dm

L c d2

2
d
n
2

L c
d2

= ZD = 1.276 m

Combined Effect Of Multipath & Material Dispersion

2
0

2
1

2 1/ 2
2

L L L L

2
0
2

2
1
2

2
2
2

1/ 2

In terms of rms width of received pulses,

L L
L
L

2
0
2

2
1
2

2
2
2

1/ 2

Meridional Ray

Skew Ray

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Fiber Characteristics

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EDFA @ 1550 nm

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