UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Santa Barbara
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE 135 MIDTERM Spring 2011

During this exam you can refer to one 8.5"x11" sheet of notes only. In your answers make your
reasoning very clear and show your work explicitly. Remember that I can grade your papers based only
on what you have written, not based on what you think that you implied. Good luck.

1.(30%)The variation of the index of refraction of a certain material as a function of wavelength is

schematically shown in the figure below. Assume that a fiber is made out of such a material. In
the rest of the problem consider only the material dispersion.

n ( )

(a)(7%) Assuming you know n ( ) as an analytical function of wavelength describe how you would
calculate the dispersion parameter D ( ) . Obtain your result through derivation; do not copy
from your notes. Based on your formulation and assuming n ( ) is as given in the figure above
make a schematic plot of dispersion variation as a function of wavelength. Can dispersion be
zero and if so what is the zero dispersion wavelength?

(b)(7%) Describe how you would find the group index if the dispersion is known. Obtain your result
through derivation; do not copy from your notes. Based on your formulation and assuming
D ( ) is as found in part (a) make a schematic plot of group index variation as a function of
wavelength.

(c)(6%) Using the group index variation found in part (b) make a schematic plot of the group velocity as a
function of wavelength.

(d)(5%) Assume that you have a source that produces linearly chirped Gaussian pulses. The electric field
variation of two single pulses as a function of time is shown below. Which one of these pulses
have positive chirp?
 1 1
1 1

0.5 0.5

Electric field

Electric field
E1( t ) 0 E2( t ) 0

0.5 0.5

1 1
1 1
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
0 t 40 0 t 40

Time Time

(a) (b)

(e)(5%) If you want to compress a linearly chirped Gaussian pulse with positive chirp what should be the
wavelength of operation? In other words should be less than or greater than 0 ? Assume that
the variation of group velocity as a function of wavelength is as calculated in part (c).

2.(20%)Design a single layer thin film anti reflection coating for GaAs/air interface at 0 = 1.55 m
under normal incidence. Determine the required thickness and index of reflection. Assume that
the index of GaAs is 3.4 at this wavelength. What happens to the reflectivity of your design at
wavelengths other than the design value? Give a physical explanation.

3.(25%)You are asked to design a single mode symmetrical slab waveguide operating at 0 = 1.5 m .
You want the fundamental TE mode to travel at one third the speed of light in vacuum at this
wavelength. The core and the cladding of the waveguide are made out of materials of index 3.5
and 2.5 respectively. Assume these indices do not change as a function of wavelength.

(a)(7%) Find an appropriate core thickness for this waveguide.

(b)(7%) What is the angle of incidence of the plane wave components for the fundamental TE mode at the
core/cladding interface?

(c)(6%) What is the wavelength range over which this waveguide is single mode?

(d)(5%) What happens to the energy confined in the core as the operating wavelength reduces from
0 = 1.5 m ? Give a clear physical explanation.

4.(25%)Assume that you a using a new fiber made out of a polymer with the following wavelength
dependent material index:

0.01
n( ) = 1.53 +
2

In this expression has a unit of micrometer. Note that 0.01 in the numerator of the second
term has unit of m2. In the rest of the problem consider only the material dispersion and ignore
waveguide dispersion.
(a)(5%) What is the refractive index and group index for this material at = 1.5 m ?

(b)(7%) What is the group velocity dispersion parameter, 2 , and dispersion D at = 1.5 m ? Give
proper units.

(1 j 6 ) t 2
(c)(6%) Suppose that a pulse with an electric field envelop of A(0, t ) = exp , where t is
200
in units of picoseconds, is launched on this fiber at z = 0. What is the chirp parameter of this
2
pulse? What is the rms width of A(0, t ) .

2
(d)(7%) What is the rms width of the magnitude squared electric field ( A( z , t ) ) at the end of 100 km
transmission on this fiber at = 1.5 m ?