DON BOSCO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, (DBIT), MUMBAI, 400070.

Date of Assignment : 21st March, 2011.

Date of Submission: 4th April,2011.

1. Describe the structure of different types of optical fibers with ray paths.
What is the approximate core and cladding diameter of an optical fiber in each
case. Sketch their refractive index profile.
2. Describe a simple block diagram of an optical fiber transmission link and explain
the function of each element in the link.
3. Explain the principle of light transmission down the step index and graded index
fiber
4. Using simple ray theory, describe the mechanism for the transmission of light
within an optical fiber. Briefly with the aid of suitable diagram what is meant by
the acceptance angle for an optical fiber. Show how this is related to numerical
aperture and the refractive indices for the fiber core and cladding.
5. An optical fiber has a numerical aperture of 0.20 and a cladding refractive index
of 1.59. Determine :
(a) The acceptance angle for the fiber in water which has a refractive index of
1.33;
(b) The critical angle at the core cladding interface
6. The velocity of light in the core of a step index fiber is 2.01x 108 m/s, and the
critical angle at the core cladding interface is 800. Determine the numerical
aperture and the acceptance angle for the fiber in air, assuming it has a core
diameter suitable for consideration by ray analysis. The velocity of light in a
vacuum is 2.998 x 103 m/s.
7. Determine the relative refractive index difference for an optical fiber and show
how it may be related to the numerical aperture.
A step index fiber with a large core diameter compared with the wavelength of
the transmitted light has an acceptance angle in air of 220 and a relative refractive
index difference of 3%. Estimate the numerical aperture and the critical angle at
the core-cladding interface for the fiber.
8. A step index fiber has a solid acceptance angle in air of 0.115 radians and a
relative refractive index difference of 0.9%. Estimate the speed of light in the fiber
core.
9. Briefly indicate with the aid of suitable diagrams the difference between
meridional and skew ray paths in step index fibers.
10. Describe with the aid of simple ray diagram:
(a) the multimode step index fiber
(b) the single-mode step index fiber
Comapre the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of fiber for use as
an optical channel.
11. A multimode step index fiber has a relative refractive index difference of 1% and
a core refractive index of 1.5. The number of modes propogating at a wavelength
of 1.3µm is 1100. Estimate the diameter of the fiber core.
12. Explain what is meant by a graded index fiber, giving an expression for the
 possible refractive index profile. Using simple ray theory concepts, discuss the
transmission of light through the fiber. Indicate the major advantage of this type
of fiber with regard to multimode propagation
13. A graded index fiber with a parabolic index profile supports the propagation of
742 guided modes. The fiber has a numerical aperture in air of 0.3 and a core
diameter of 70µm. Determine the wavelength of the light propogating in the
fiber.
Further estimate the maximum diameter of the fiber which gives single mode
operation at the same wavelength.
14. A single mode step index fiber has a core diameter of 7µm and a core refractive
index of 1.49. Estimate the shortest wavelength of light which allows single-mode
operation when the relative refractive index difference for the fiber is 1%.
15. In problem 14 it is required to increase the core diameter to 10µm whilst
maintaining single mode operation at the same wavelength. Estimate the
maximum possible relative index for the fiber.
16. What do you mean by attenuation property of a fiber? Why does the attenuation of a
signal take place in an optical fiber
17. What are the typical wavelengths used in fiber communication
18. Draw any two structure each for LED and LD. Compare the properties of LED
and LD and comment on their suitability for optical communication
19. What are the various factors contributing to the attenuation in optical fibers
20. Explain intramodal and intermodal dispersion in optical fibers. How does
dispersion effect the bandwidth of optical fibers
21. What are the desirable properties of the source of optical communication
22. What do you mean by splicing of fiber? What is the name of the similar term in
metallic system? What is the basic difference between the two.
23. Explain the various steps involved in splicing procedure
24. Compare different splicing techniques? What are the advantages of placing an
optical matching cement
25. List the important point-to-point link design used in optical communication.
Explain each in brief
26. What are the common LED structures used for optical fiber communications.
Discuss the merits and drawbacks. Compare surface and edge emitting devices.
27. Discuss the boundary conditions and the mode cutoff in case of an optical fiber.
What is the significance of ‘V’ number. Get an expression for it in terms of NA
28. Explain with neat sketches fiber splicing techniques also list the merits and
demerits of each. Enlist the desirable requirements for a good fiber connector
29. Explain the relation between bit rate and bandwidth in OFC
30. Explain Modified chemical vapour deposition (MCVD) mthod of fiber fabricatiob
in detail
31. Explain the various lensing scheme for fiber coupling improvement
32. Explain the various parameters required to find the performance if digital optical
receiver
33. How do you determine what portion of light entering the fiber will stay within the
fiber
34. What determines the cone of acceptance for a given fiber
35. Explain the working of LED with a neat labeled diagram
36. How does dispersion affect the transmission bandwidth of optical fibers? Explain
any one technique to measure it
37. Explain the various parameters essential in point-to-point link design
38. How can OTDR meter be used as an optical demodulator
39. Write a short note on APD
40. Explain how RAPD can be used as an optical demodulator
41. Explain how wavelength division multiplexing can be efficiently used to enhance
communication.
42. Explain and compare pin diodes with APD with the help of suitable electric field
diagrams.
43. What are the common LED structures used for optical fiber communications.
Discuss their merits and drawbacks. Compare surface and edge devices
44. Write short note on linearly polarized modes
45. Discuss the operation of a silicon RAPD describing how it differs from pin
photodiode. Outline the advantages and disadvantages with the use of RAPD as a
detector.
46. What are the general requirements of a good optical source? Describe the
technique used to give both electrical and optical confinement in injection laser.
47. Write short note on rise time budget
48. Discuss a popular non-destructive technique for attenuation measurement
49. Describe three methods of perform fabrication. Including starting materials, heat
sources, fabrication temperatures used and the technique used to make the preform for
each method.
50. Define the rise time of pulse in a passive RC circuit and determine the relation
between the rise time and bandwidth of the circuit.
51. An optical fiber link is designed to operate 8 km length of the link without using a
repeater. The rise time of different individual components are
The rise time of LED source = 5ns
The rise time of p-i-n photodetector = 8 ns
Rise time due to modal dispersion =5ns/kn
Rise time due to material dispersion = 1ns/km
Calculate the system rise time and maximum bit rate that can be achieved in the
link using (1) RZ format and (2) NRZ format
52. Explain the significance of link power budget in optical fiber system design.
53. What are the requirements and the parameters to be considered while designing a
optical fiber communication system.
54. Describe with necessary experimental arrangement the measurement of the signal
attenuation in an optical fiber.
55. Describe and explain the experimental setup used in optical Time Domain
Reflectometer (OTDR) technique. How is the attenuation measured by this
technique?
56. Explain a typical curve obtained on the scope of an OTDR giving the results of
the measurements done by an OTDR and also explain the limitations of this
technique.
57. Describe the arrangement for experimental setup for the time domain fiber
 dispersion measurement. Find the relation between the pulse broadening and the
widths of the input and output pulses with the assumption that the shapes of pulses
are Guassian.
58. How can you measure the numerical aperture of an optical fiber
59. Describe the methods of measurement of diameter of the fiber core and cladding
60. Describe with necessary experimental set up for measurement of attenuation of
signal in a splice or connector.
61. A multimode fiber of length 2 km is connected to an apparatus by cutback
technique for the attenuation measurement. The measured output voltage from the photo
detector using 2km length is found to be 2.1 volts at the wavelength of 0.85µm. The fiber
is cutback to a length of 2 meters and the measured output voltage increased to 10.5 volts.
Calculate the attenuation per kilometer in dB/km at the wavelength of 0. 85µm.
62. Differentiate between spontaneous and simultaneous emission
63. Derive the relation between LED current and optical output power.
64. Coherent optical communication is preferred over non-coherent optical
communication? Why?
65. Explain the role of connectors in OFC
66. Explain Linearly polarized modes
67. Write short note on propagation of optical signal through GIF
68. Explain in detail dispersion modified single mode fibers.
69. Explain equilibrium Numerical Aperture.
70. Explain the different modes that can be supported by an optical fiber
71. Explain what are radiative losses in optical fiber
72. Compare SMSI, MMSI and MMGI fibers in detail.
73. Explain mode coupling in optical fiber and its effects

DBIT / Criterion II-I.2.1 / Assignment-3 / Doc- 1 / Rev - 0 / 24.01.2011