IEG 4030 Optical Communications

Part I. Fibers
Professor Lian K. Chen
Department of Information Engineering The Chinese University of Hong Kong lkchen@ie.cuhk.edu.hk

[For slide with * sign: supplemental material]

Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 1

Outline
Fiber basics Fiber types Ray theory Basic EM wave theory Propagation mode Single-mode and multimode fiber Fiber attenuation Signal distortion in fiber Dispersion Transmission system capacity Fiber manufacturing
Ref: [Keiser Ch2.1-2.3, 2.4*, 2.8*, 3.1, 3.2, 3.5.2-3 ][Agrawal Ch2.1-2.3 2.4*, 2.5]

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

Pros and cons of fiber

Advantages: low cost small size, weight, flexibility immunity to interference : no short circuit and crosstalk security high bandwidth low loss The hidden Hazard of Aging Aircraft stress and heat resistant Wiring hazardous environment resistant Disadvantage: difficult to tap light out difficult to make connection

IEEE Spectrum Feb. 2001

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

Fiber basics
An optical fiber is a cylindrical dielectric waveguide made of SiO2 and operates at optical frequency (~1014 Hz). Basic fiber structure includes : core, cladding, and buffer (jacket). Fiber core has a refractive index slightly larger than claddings (through different dopant, like Ge, concentration). Light is guided inside the fiber by TIR (totally internal reflection).
(Q: How is multitouch related to TIR? See http://cs.nyu.edu/~jhan/ftirsense/index.html )
Jacket Cladding

Core Cladding Jacket

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_internal_reflection
Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 4

Fiber Types
By refractive index profile
step-index fiber : the refractive index profile of fiber core is a step function graded-index fiber : the refractive index of fiber core depends on the radius distance.

By sustainable propagation mode

single-mode fiber : support only single propagation mode. multi-mode fiber : support multiple propagation mode.

By dispersion characteristics
non-dispersion-shifted fiber (NDSF) : standard single-mode fiber with zero dispersion at 1.3m. [ITU-T G.652] dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF) : zero dispersion at 1.55m. [ITU-T G.653] non-zero dispersion shifted fiber (NZDSF) : small but non-zero dispersion at 1.55m. [ITU-T G.655]

By polarization characteristics
polarization maintaining fiber : polarization preserved fiber

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

Fiber Types - 2
Single-Mode Fiber Spool Multi-Mode Fiber Spool

Single-Mode Fiber Patchcord (Jumper)

Notice the color difference!

Multi-Mode Fiber Patchcord (Jumper)
Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

Fiber Types other specialty fibers

Photonic crystal fiber (PCF)
inculde photonic-bandgap fiber (PCFs that confine light by band gap effects), holey fiber (PCFs using air holes in their cross-sections), hole-assisted fiber (PCFs guiding light by a conventional higher-index core modified by the presence of air holes), and Bragg fiber (photonic-bandgap fiber formed by concentric rings of multilayer film).

Plastic optical fiber (POF)

larger core much higher attenuation easier for termination and splicing processing

Rare-earth doped fiber

e.g. for EDFA amplifiers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photonic_crystal_fiber http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_optical_fiber http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erbium-doped_fiber_amplifier Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 7

Step-index and Graded-index fiber

Step Index
refractive index

refractive index

Graded Index

cladding n2

cladding n2 n1 core
(3). single-mode, step index fiber

n1 core

Pulse spreading in fibers

(1). multi-mode, step index fiber

(2) multi-mode, graded index

http://media.corning.com/flash/opticalfiber/2008/fiber101/fiber101.html
Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 8

Ray Theory - 1
Ray theory valid if <<a. If a ~ , ray (geometric) optics breaks down.
2 1

Snells Law : n1 sin 1 = n2 sin 2

n2 n1
optical index n speed = c/n

Note: if we increase 1 to c such that 2=90o sin c =

n2 , n1 n2 < n1

Jacket Cladding

Core Cladding Jacket

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

Ray Theory - 2
loss (leaky and unguided)
n0 Acceptance angle n2 n1 i r

O.K.

core cladding

n0 sin i = n1 sin r = n1 sin ( ) = n1 cos = n1 (1 sin ) 2 1 1 1 n2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 n1 (1 sin c ) = n1 (1 ( ) ) = ( n1 n 2 )

2

1 2

Set = c , then

n0 sin i =
2 2 1 2

n1

N.A. = ( n1 n2 ) = [ ( n1 + n2 ) ( n1 n2 )] [ 2n1 (n1 n2 )] Defined

= (n1 n2 ) n1

1 2

1 2

for n1~n2

fractional index change

1/ 2

N . A . n1 (2 )
Prof. Lian K Chen

Larger N.A. more light collected. But usually is chosen to be quite small, ~ 0.002 weakly guided
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Part I. Fibers

Ray Theory - 3
Q. Whats wrong with strong guiding?
Large large N.A. wider acceptance angle support an array of rays with different incident angles multiple modes/ multipath path length difference + different modes travel at different speeds different arrival time intermodal dispersion signal pulse broadening
Large large NA Array of angles Multipath

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Basic Electromagnetic Theory*

Concept of an electric field E If an electric field E exists in a certain region of space , then every point (x,y,z) within the region is associated with a vector field E(x,y,z) such that when a test charge e is brought to the point (x,y,z), it will experience a force F = eE(x,y,z). Concept of a magnetic field B Similarly, if a region is associated with a magnetic field B, then a test charge in motion with velocity v will experience a force F=evB(x,y,z) at every point (x,y,z) within . The Lorentz force equation F=e(E+v B) describes the combined effect of an electromagnetic field on a test charge e.
Part I. Fibers

E(x,y,z) e

(bold face: a vector)

F e v B(x,y,z)

Prof. Lian K Chen

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Filed concept and unification of B and E*

Importance of the field concept The electromagnetic phenomena arise from the interaction of charges. With the concept of electromagnetic fields, one can study many electromagnetic phenomena (such as the propagation of electromagnetic waves) without having to worry about how they are generated.

Unification of electricity and magnetism Historically, electricity and magnetism were two different phenomena in which many empirical relations had been discovered experimentally. Maxwell unified them by introducing the concept of displacement current to resolve the inconsistency in the equation of continuity. The set of equations resulted is known as Maxwells equations.
Part I. Fibers 13

Prof. Lian K Chen

Maxwells Equations (MKS Differential Form)-1*

D = B = 0

B t D H = j + t
E =

E and H are the electric and magnetic field intensity D and B are the electric and magnetic flux density D=E and B=H

and j are the charge density and current density. and are the permittivity and permeability characterizing the electric and magnetic properties of the medium. For isotropic media, and are scalars. In some anisotropic media, and are tensors, denoted by and
Ref: Ch4, Fiber-Optic Communications Technology D.K. Mynbaev and L.L. Scheiner, Prenctice Hall

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Maxwells Equations (MKS Differential Form)-2*

In general, there are an infinite number of solutions to Maxwells equations for any geometry and boundary conditions. Under certain circumstances, the boundary conditions and the initial field distribution may uniquely determine the EM field. We usually consider only a few classes of solutions that represent physical phenomena we are interested in. For example, in a waveguide, we may be only interested in some of the propagating modes.

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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EM Wave equation in isotropic, homogeneous medium*

From Maxwells equation, one can derive the wave equations for linear, isotropic and homogeneous medium:
1 2E E 2 = 0; c t2
2

1 2H 1 2 0; where c H 2 = = c t2
2

Representation of a single-frequency wave and phase velocity

a general wave motion can be represented by sin(t - kz) or ei ( t k z ) is the temporal frequency and k is the spatial frequency (or propagation vector, wave vector, wave number...) temporal frequency denotes the number of repetitions of a wave per unit time spatial frequency denotes the number of repetitions of a wave per unit distance

The /k is known as the phase velocity; it is the velocity of any constant-phase point of a wave

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Properties of electromagnetic waves

The E field and H field of an EM wave are always orthogonal, either component completely determines the other. An EM wave propagates by exchanging energy between its E field and H field (analogous to an LC oscillator). If E field is at the maximum, the H field will vanish (and vice versa). There are two independent polarizations for each monochromatic wave with the same wave vector k because of the two spatial dimensions (x and y). When the phase difference between the two polarizations is
0o - the EM wave is plane-polarized 90o - the EM wave is circularly polarized arbitrary - the EM wave is elliptically polarized

Reflection and refraction occur at the boundary interfaces - a result of boundary condition for EM field.
Part I. Fibers 17

Prof. Lian K Chen

Polarization of Light
With

E ( x, y) = E x x + E y y

E x = a x cos( t z ) E y = a y cos( t z + )
Ex a = cos A E a A = cos x x x E y = a y cos( A + ) E y = cos A cos sin A sin ay 2 Ey Ex Ex cos 1 = a sin ay ax x

Let A = t z

E Ex Ey = 1 x cos a a ay x x
2

sin 2
2

Ex a x

Ey E E 2 2 x y cos = sin 2 E x sin 2 cos + a a axay x y

2

Ex a x

Ey + a y

E E 2 x y cos = sin 2 axay

Polarization Ellipse
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Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

Polarization of Light -2
Polarization Ellipse:
Ex a x Ey E E 2 x y cos = sin 2 + a axay y 2 2 Ey Ex a + a =1 x y
2 2

Consider when =/2, gives

If ax=ay=a, the locus of the resultant E(x,y) will be a circle. y

E ( x, y )

Circularly polarized/ Circular polarization

Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 19

Polarization of Light - 3
Circular Polarization

See also http://webphysics.davidson.edu/physlet_resources/dav_optics/Examples/polarization.html for some animation of polarization

Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 20

Polarizer in Photography
Use the Circular Polarizer or Linear Polarizer to block some of the unwanted light

with polarizer

Ref: National Geographic Photography Field Guide, ISBN 986-7680-46-4 Also see http://www.geocities.com/COKINFILTERSYSTEM/polarizer.htm
Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 21

Propagation mode supported in Fiber

Whether a mode can be supported by the fiber described by two parameters
2 ( / k ) 2 n2 / k n2 b= , 2 n12 n2 n1 n2

for <<1 : normalized propagation constant

If / k = n2 b = 0, these modes will not be supported cut off If n1 > / k > n2

V = ka (n n2 ) (
2 1 1 2 2

)an1 2

: normalized frequency

Note that a is the fiber core radius and k = 2 / where s the wavelength of the light.
Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 22

Supported propagation modes in fiber

To have a single-mode operation, V should be 2.405. Note: large V large support more modes; and the number of modes is
n = n1 tightly guided

V2 ~ 2

Completely cut off at b=0

Example: For a multimode fiber with n1=1.5, a=25 m, and =5x10-3, V is 18 for a source wavelength at 1.3 m. It will support ~ 162 modes. Q: Why does fiber only support discrete modes?
Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 23

Comparison of Single- and multi-mode fiber

Multi-mode fiber (MMF) : larger core area easier for power coupling between source and fiber or fiber to fiber. can use LEDs as the light source; LED are easy to make, less expensive, require simpler circuitry, and have longer life time; but bandwidth is limited. Q: what are the cons? Single-mode fiber (SMF) : allows only one propagation mode no intermodal dispersion (intermodal dispersion is caused by different propagation velocity for different modes) Note: Recent research on MMF has made high-speed communication on MMF possible. We will come back to this later.
Part I. Fibers

Prof. Lian K Chen

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Attenuation in Optical Fibers

Attenuation is measured in dB/km:

Pin 10 = log 10 P L out

where Pin and Pout are the optical power into and out of the optical fiber, and L is the total length of fiber in km. We want to transmit signal at the
Attenuation spec. of Corning SMF-28 fiber wavelength with small attenuation
The ITU has specified six transmission bands for fiber optic transmissions. The six bands are the O-Band (1,260nm to 1,310nm), E-Band (1,360nm to 1,460nm), S-Band (1,460nm to 1,530nm), C-Band (1,530nm to 1,565nm), L-Band (1,565nm to 1,625nm), U-Band (1,625nm to 1,675nm). A seventh band, not defined by the ITU, but used in private networks, runs around 850nm.

Prof. Lian K Chen

In new fibers (Lucent All-Wave or Corning SMF-28e), OH absorption peak around 1.4m has been largely suppressed. Part I. Fibers 25

Causes of Fiber Attenuation

1. Material absorption: Silica (Intrinsic) and Impurities (Extrinsic) For SiO2, intrinsic absorption results from electronic absorption band in UV (<0.4m) and atomic vibration band in IR ( > 7m) Impurities : Fe, Cu, Co, Ni, Cr. absorption OH ions absorption at 2.7m. Harmonic tones occur at 1.4m, 0.95m, and 0.725m. Need to keep it below 1ppb. 2. Rayleigh scattering: Silica molecules move randomly in the molten state. density fluctuations (~) cause Rayleigh scattering with scattering loss: R=C/4 (C~0.7-0.9dB/km-m4) ~ 0.12-0.16 dB/km at 1.55m 3. Waveguide Imperfections: Core radius variations scattering very small Bend loss can be high ~ e-R/Rc
R = radius of the fiber; Rc=a/(n12-n22); For SMF, Rc=0.2-0.4mm. R>5mm.
Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers microbend 26

cladding core cladding Density fluctuations

Signal distortion in optical waveguide

Optical signal is distorted as it propagates along the fiber waveguide. The distortion is due to intermodal dispersion, intramodal dispersion, and polarization mode-dispersion . All effects lead to ISI (inter-symbol interference) caused by pulse spreading, and subsequently limit the system transmission capacity.

t=0 t=t1 t=2t1 t=3t1

Evolution of pulse broadening (Assume after t1, pulse width increases by 20% and pulse height reduces by 20%)

distance

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Intramodal dispersion
Intramodal dispersion Intramodal dispersion or chromatic dispersion is the pulse spreading occurs in a single propagation mode. The pulse spreading is due to group velocity dispersion - signal at different wavelength has different group velocity.
30

Intramodal dispersion consists of

Material dispersion : caused by the wavelength-dependence of refractive index Waveguide dispersion : caused by cladding mode (~20% for SM fiber) which travels faster.

Dispersion [ps/(kmnm)]

20 DM 10 0 -10 -20 -30 1.1 Dtotal

ZD

DW

1.2

1.3 1.4 1.5 Wavelength (m)

1.6

1.7

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Dispersion-shifted fiber
For silica fiber, Dmat (material dispersion) is a monotonically increasing function of . Dwg (waveguide dispersion) is always <0 for =0 to 1.6m

By properly adjusting the Dwg (through refractive index profile design), the wavelength that at which D=Dmat+Dwg=0 can be shifted. This wavelength is called zero-dispersion wavelength ZD .
20

Dispersion-shifted fiber (DSF)

Dispersion [ps/(kmnm)]

10

standard fiber dispersion flatten fiber

Q: Will a pulse at ZD have zero dispersion in transmission?

Prof. Lian K Chen

-10

dispersion shifted fiber

-20 1.1

1.2

1.3

Part I. Fibers

Wavelength (m)

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.7

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Material Dispersion
Material dispersion (due to the frequency-dependent of the silica fibers refractive index n)

Dmat

d 2n = c d2

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Waveguide Dispersion*
The effect of waveguide dispersion can be approximated by assuming that the refractive index of the materials is independent of wavelength. Dwg depends on the V parameter of the fiber

LPjm modes
d(Vb)/dV

[Gloge Diagram]

Dwg
Prof. Lian K Chen

n2 1 d 2 (Vb) V = 2 c dV
Part I. Fibers 31

Dispersion adjustment by refractive index profile

Various Refractive Index Profile to manipulate the fibers dispersion:

(a) matched cladding 1300nm-optimized

(b) depressed cladding 1300nm-optimized

(c) triangular dispersion shifted

(d) quadruple-clad dispersion-flattened

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Various fiber with different dispersions

Material dispersion can be changed by changing fiber glass doping concentration Waveguide dispersion can be changed by changing waveguide geometry

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Modal dispersion
(Multipath dispersion) The lights (rays) that enter the fiber at different angles will traverse different distances inside the fiber. The propagation time difference between the longest and shortest paths is the Intermodal dispersion. For step-index fiber :

L n12 n1 L T = L = c sin c c n2
c: critical angle

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Birefringence
Even for single-mode fiber, there are two independent, degenerated propagation modes. These two modes are orthogonal in polarization. In regular fiber, due to some imperfections (e.g. asymmetrical lateral stress, noncircular core, or variations in refractive index), the refractive indices for x and y direction are different .

Birefringence: B f = n y nx
Two modes propagate at different speeds. PMD (polarization mode dispersion) occurs.

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Polarization mode dispersion (PMD)

Cross-section of optical fiber
Cladding Core

Ideal

Practical
Fast axis Slow axis

1st-order PMD

Fast

Slow

Prof. Lian K Chen

- Well defined, frequency independent eigenstates - Deterministic, frequency independent Differential Group Delay (DGD) - DGD scales linearly with fiber length Ref: Kazuo Yamane, Fujitsu
Part I. Fibers

: Differential Group Delay (DGD)

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Polarization mode dispersion (PMD)

PMD is caused by Fiber birefringence (difference in refractive indices of two principle polarization states). The fluctuation of PMD is due to the fluctuation of
signals principle states of polarization (PSP) or differential group delay (DGD). (the delay difference between two orthogonal mode of polarizations) Ex

The mean PMD can be calculated by

Ey

TPMD DPMD L
where DPMD is the average PMD parameter measured in ps/(km)0.5 . Typical DPMD ranges from 0.1 to 1 ps/(km)0.5.

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Polarization mode dispersion (PMD)

PMD is an important factor for high speed (>10 Gb/s) systems.
Optical fibre cables covered by ITUG.652 recommendation generally have a DPMD below 0.5 ps/km1/2. This corresponds to a PMD-limited transmission distance of about 400 km for STM-64 (10Gb/s) systems For STM-256(40Gb/s), this distance is reduced to ~ 25 km!

(Assume tolerable PMD is 10% of pulsewidth)

PMD varies along the fiber and depends on the temperature. PMD also depends on the fiber cable installation. For example, in one experiment, the PMDs measured for a 36-km spooled fiber, a 48.8-km buried cable, and a 48.8-km aerial cable were 0.028, 0.29, and 1.28 ps/(km)0.5, respectively.

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Group velocity dispersion

group velocity vg : group delay g :
d d vg = c d dk
1 1

2 d L L d g = = = L v g c dk 2c d

( L : length of fiber)

Since the group velocity depends on the wavelength , a pulse that contains different spectral components will spread out during propagation. Assume the is the spectral width of the pulse, the extent of pulse broadening (T) for a fiber with length L is given by
dT d L T = = d d vg
2 d = L = L 2 2 d

d 2 where 2 d 2 is known as GVD (group velocity dispersion) parameter.

Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 39

Group velocity dispersion (contd.)

More commonly, the spectral width is expressed in (unit: nm). (Conversion of and ) Using = or
= ( 2c / 2 ) ,

the pulse spreading for an optical source with a spectral width is giving by dT d L T = = = D i L i d d v g where the dispersion parameter D is defined as D
d 1 d vg

Note: As D can be positive or negative, we take the absolute value of D to calculate the pulse spreading .
Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 40

Material Dispersion Derivation

Assume infinitely extended dielectric medium with refractive index n() Then the propagation constant is given by
=
2 n ( )

From the previous equation of the group delay g , the material dispersion (or group delay) can be derived as
mat = g =
L L dn = n vg c d

Then the pulse spread mat is given by

mat
d mat L d 2n = 2 = L Dmat ( ) d c d

where

Dmat

d 2n = c d 2

Prof. Lian K Chen

(Note: pulse spectral width is also expressed as )

Part I. Fibers 41

Higher order dispersion*

Since all light sources have non-zero spectral width , the dispersion cannot be zero for all wavelength within . The effective dispersion is D=S where S is the dispersion d slope, differential dispersion parameter, or second-order dispersion parameter ( note : Some people use D=0.5S ) From D, S can be derived as
S = (2 c / 2 ) 2 3 + (4 c / 3 ) 2 where m = (d m / d m )
dD

Typical parameters of some commercial single-mode fibers

N.A. Corning SMF-28 AT&T Matched-Clad Corning SMF-DS AT&T True Wave 0.13 0.12 0.17 0.16 =(n1-n2)/n2 (%) 0.36 0.33 0.90 0.75 2w (m) 9.3 9.3 8.1 8.4 ZD (m) 1.312 1.312 1.550 1.530 S [ps/(km-nm2)] 0.090 0.088 0.075 0.095

Prof. Lian K Chen

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Dispersion specification of SM Fiber-1*

(ITU-T G.652) For a set of fibers with certain manufacturing tolerance: The maximum chromatic dispersion coefficient shall be specified by: the allowed range of the zero-dispersion wavelength between 0min = 1300 nm and 0max = 1324 nm;
the maximum value S0max = 0.093 ps/(nm2 km) of the dispersion slope at zero dispersion wavelength. (shown as -0.093 in the standard document)

The chromatic dispersion coefficient limits for any wavelength within the range 1260-1360 nm shall be calculated as:
S D1 ( ) = 0max 4 4 0min 3 S D2 ( ) = 0max 4 4 0max 3 40 3

If specific values (rather than a range of values) of S0 and 0 are given, then D is in the form of :

S D ( ) = 0 4

(check corning SMF-28e spec sheet)

Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 43

Dispersion specification of SM Fiber-2*

The dispersion at 1500-1600nm for for a dispersion-shifted fiber (Class IVb fiber specified in EIA) (or when is close to 0)
D ( ) = ( 0 ) S0

The asumption is that the dispersion slope is constant around 0

Prof. Lian K Chen

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Transmission system capacity

For Gaussian input pulse, the output pulse width after passing through a fiber is 2 1/ 2 = ( 02 + D ) , where 0 is the r.m.s. pulse width of input Gaussian pulse and D is the pulse broadening due to fiber dispersion. A commonly used criterion for the pulse broadening is TB / 4, where TB is the bit period =1/Br and Br is the Bit rate (not bandwidth) of the system. Assume negligible initial pulse width, then D = L D
Br L D 1 / 4 or Br L 1 /( 4 D ) -- bit-rate - distance product

(For detail derivation under various conditions, see [Agrawal])

Prof. Lian K Chen

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Example:

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Spot Size*

For single mode fiber, the intensity distribution of the propagation mode is important for characterizing the performance.
Ex can be approximated by a Gaussian distribution *.

E x = A exp(-r 2 / wo ) exp(i z ),
2

where

wo - field radius = spot size 2 wo = mode filed diameter (MFD)

r=0

[Agrawal]

By analytical fitting, wo / a 0.65 + 1.619 V -3/ 2 + 2.879 V -6

(* One of the various approximations.)

Prof. Lian K Chen

Part I. Fibers

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Fiber drawing
Various techniques for producing optical fiber
Outside Vapor-Phase Deposition (OVPD) Vapor-Phase Axial Deposition (VAD) Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition(MCVD) Plasma-Activated Chemical Vapor Deposition (PCVD)
Preform feed

Furnace Thickness monitoring gauge Polymer coater Ultraviolet light or furnace for curing Take-up drum

2000C

(see Kaiser)

Capstan

Also see Coring Fiber Manufacturing Demo

http://www.corning.com/cms/FlashVideoPlayer.aspx?id=39 597&ydistance=312 Prof. Lian K Chen

Schematic illustration of a fiber drawing tower.

1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics(Prentice Hall)

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Outside vapor deposition

Vapors: SiCl4+ GeCl4+O2 Fuel: H2 Burner Deposited soot Target rod Deposited Ge doped 2 SiO Rotate mandrel Drying gases Porous soot preform with hole Furnace Preform Furnace

(a)

(b)

Clear solid glass preform

(c)

Drawn fiber

Schematic illustration of OVD and the preform preparation for fiber drawing. (a) Reaction of gases in the burner flame produces glass soot that deposits on to the outside surface of the mandrel. (b) The mandrel is removed and the hollow porous soot preform is consolidated; the soot particles are sintered, fused, together to form a clear glass rod. (c) The consolidated glass rod is used as a preform in fiber drawing.
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)
Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 49

Fiber Cable
For practical application, fiber needs to be encapsulated in cable for better protection.

Outer Sheath Yarn strength member Buffer strength member Paper/Plastic Binding Tape

Polyurethane/PVC Jacket Basic Fiber building block Insulator Copper Conductor

Six-fiber cable (See Coring Fiber Manufacturing Demo)

Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers 50

ITU-T Recommendations
G.650 - Definition and test methods for the relevant parameters of single-mode fibres G.651 - Characteristics of a 50/125 m multimode graded index optical fibre cable G.652 - Characteristics of a single-mode optical fibre cable G.653 - Characteristics of a dispersion-shifted single-mode optical fibre cable G.654 - Characteristics of a cut-off shifted single-mode optical fibre cable G.655 - Characteristics of a non-zero dispersion shifted single-mode optical fibre cable

Prof. Lian K Chen

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Case Study flexible optical fiber

Question: Fiber is made of glass. Can we make it very flexible for home cabling? Solution: special fiber (e.g. Photonic Crystal Fiber or fiber with special coating)

NTT - Fiber to the Home (FTTH) Project

Also see Cornings show

http://www.corning.com/optica lfiber/library/videos.aspx
Prof. Lian K Chen

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Photonic Crystal Fiber (Holey Fiber)*

Applications Dispersion compensation White light (supercontinuum) sources Wavelength converters Hollow transmission fibers Multi-core fiber couplers Pulse shapers Chemical sensors with long interaction lengths Temperature-insensitive PM pigtails Gyroscope fibers--athermal, and highly birefringent Pressure and temperature sensors High Aeff and PM fibers for singlemode interconnects Mode converters
Prof. Lian K Chen Part I. Fibers

http://www.blazephotonics.com/

53

Reading the Data Sheet

Corning SMF-28e+ optical fiber
http://www.corning.com/WorkArea/showcontent.aspx?id=41261

Prof. Lian K Chen

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Other interesting sites

http://www.corning.com/opticalfiber/ (Corning Optical Fiber) http://www.arcelect.com/fibercable.htm (The Basics of Fiber Optic Cables: A tutorial) http://www.sff.net/people/Jeff.Hecht/history.html (A short history of fiber optics) and http://www.sff.net/people/Jeff.Hecht/chron.html (A Fiber-Optic Chronology )

Prof. Lian K Chen

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