Optical Engineering

By
B Suresh
Department of ECE

KL
University
Lecture 3
Optical Fibers
 Basics of Light
Light is an electromagnetic radiation, in which
electric and magnetic fields are perpendicular to
each other and propagation of light is
perpendicular to both electric and magnetic field.

Characteristics of Light:
Intensity
Wavelength (Color)
Spectral width (Purity of color)
Polarization : Linear, Circular, Elliptical, Random
 Basics of Light..
Theories:

Ray Theory
Wave Theory
Particle Theory
Ray theory of Light
 Ray theory of Light
In many applications of interest the wavelength of
light is
short compared with the relevant length scales of the
optical
components or system (e.g. mirrors, prisms, lenses).

This branch of optics is referred to as Ray optics or

Geometrical Optics, where energy of light is
 Ray theory of Light..
Law of Ray optics :
a) Light ray travels in a straight line in
homogenous medium.
b) When there is change of medium in the
propagation of light ray, there is reflection and
refraction of light happens at the boundry of
medium.
 Ray theory of Light..
Law of Reflection: Incident ray, reflected ray
and normal of the incident surface must lie in
one plane and the angle of reflection must be
equal to angle of incident.
 Ray theory of Light..
Law of Refraction: Incident ray, refracted ray and
normal of the incident surface must lie in one plane and
the angle of incidence 1 and the angle of refraction 2
are related to each other, and to the refractive indices of
the medium by Snells law of refraction:
 Ray theory of Light..
Refractive index: A number that describes
how light, or any other radiation, propagates
through that medium.
V = C/n
For any medium n1
For Water, n = 1.33
Glass, n = 1.45~1.48
 Ray theory of Light..
Refractive index: A number that describes
how light, or any other radiation, propagates
through that medium.
V = C/n
For any medium n1
For Water, n = 1.33
Glass, n = 1.45~1.48
 Critical Angle
Snells Law:
when, n1>n2 ;
Total Internal Reflection
 Optical Fibers
Core and cladding are made of silica(glass) or plastic.

Buffer coating is made of plastic:

- Provides mechanical strength to fiber
- Provides isolation from environment

Diameter: Refractive index :

1. Core: 8m 1. Core: 1.45~1.5
2. Cladding: 125m 2. Cladding: 1.4~1.44
3. Buffer: 250m
 Optical Fibers

Both core and cladding are transparent to visible

and near IR wavelengths

Higher core refractive index is obtained by doping

silica with GeO2
Light ray guiding condition
 Acceptance Angle
Maximum incident angle of a ray at normal to the
core-air boundary of fiber that can be allowed to
propagate inside the fiber by total internal reflection,
is called Acceptance angle.
Acceptance Angle..
 Numerical Aperture
Ability of fiber to gather the light from the source
and is defined as :

For air : na = 1

So, Mathematically, Numerical aperture is defined as

a sine of acceptance angle for air medium.
Numerical Aperture..
Numerical Aperture..
Is Large NA possible?
Some facts about NA
 e.g. What is the fiber acceptance
angle when n1 = 1.46 and
n2 = 1.44?
c = sin-1 (n2/n1) = 80.5o => c =
90o - c = 9.5o
using sin a = n1 sin c (taking na =
1)
a = sin-1 (n1 sin c) = sin-1 (1.46
sin 9.5o) ~ 14o
=> the acceptance angle a ~ 14o
Coupling of Laser to the Fiber