Single Fiber Structure

Core

Higher refractive index than cladding
Cladding

Protect core

Provide proper refractive index difference

Lower Order Mode Fields

Lower order modes have higher power in the cladding.

Snells Law

n1 sin 1 = n2 sin 2
(n1 cos 1 = n2 cos 2 )

Total Internal Reflection

Critical
angle

n1

2 = sin sin 1
n2

n1
sin 1 = 1 2 =
n2
2
1

n1
sin 1 > 1 Total reflection
n2

Critical Angle:

n2
c = sin
n1
1

Classification of Fiber
 Fiber Material

Glass Fiber

Plastic Fiber
 Refractive Index Profile

Step Index Fiber

Graded Index Fiber
 Fiber Modes

Single-Mode Fiber

Multi-Mode Fiber

Comparison of Fiber Structures

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Fiber Material

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Fiber Fabrication
 Drawing from Pre-forms

Outside Vapor-Phase Oxidation (OVPO)

Vapor-Phase Axial Deposition (VAD)

Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition (MCVD)

Plasma-Activated Chemical Vapor Deposition (PCVD)
 Direct Melt Methods

Double Crucible Method

Fiber Drawing Apparatus

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Outside VaporVapor-Phase Oxidation (OVPO)

SiH4 + 2O2 = SiO2 + 2H2O
Becomes bad

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Silene = SiH4

Vapor--Phase Axial Deposition (VAD)

Vapor

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Modified Chemical Vapor Deposition

(MCVD)

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Plasma--Activated Chemical Vapor

Plasma
Deposition (PCVD)

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Double Crucible Method

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Signal Degradation

z=0

z=L

Attenuation

z=0

z=L

Dispersion

Optical Fiber Attenuation

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

dB and dBm
dB
optical signals:

P
10 log 1
P2

electrical signals:

V1
I1
V1 I1

20 log = 20 log = 10 log

V2
I2
V2 I 2

Popt I el Pel

electrical dB = 2 x optical dB

dBm
absolute power value (with 1 mW as reference)
power level in dBm: 10 log P
1mW

Attenuation Characteristics

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Microbending Losses

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Pulse Distortion in Optical Fiber

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Dispersions in Fiber
Modal Dispersion: Different modes travel at
different velocities, exist only in multimodal
conditions
Waveguide Dispersion: Signal in the cladding
travel with a different velocity than the signal in
the core, significant in single mode conditions
Material Dispersion: Refractive index n is a
function of wavelength, exists in all fibers,
function of the source line width

Phase Velocity

d d
= 0 (t z ) = dz = 0 Vph =
dt dt
dt

Group Velocity

d
=0
dt

d d
= (t z ) = dz = 0 Vg = d
dt
dt
dt
d

Group Delay (I)

Group Delay (II)

Material Dispersion

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Waveguide Dispersion

n2 ()

n1 ()

Material and Waveguide Dispersion

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Polarization--Mode Dispersion
Polarization

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000

Intermodal Dispersion
L

c
n1
n2

Tmin

n1
= L
c

Tmax = L

n1
c cos c

n2
cos c =
n1

Index Profiles (I)

1300 nm optimized

Dispersion Shifted

Index Profiles (II)

Dispersion
Flattened

Large area dispersion shifted

Large area dispersion flattened

Optimization of SM Fibers

Optical Fiber communications, 3rd ed., G. Keiser, McGraw-Hill, 2000