Multi-layer Fiber for Dispersion Compensating

And Wide Band Amplification

Asso. Prof. A. S. Samra, Eng. H. A. M. Harb
Department of Electronics and Communications
Faculty of Engineering, Mansoura University, Egypt
(e-mail: ahsamra@yahoo.co.uk, harbhani@yahoo.com)

ABSTRACT
This paper investigates the dispersion compensating performance in multi-layer
fiber. We show that very large negative dispersion value can be obtained, depending
on the geometrical parameters. The splice loss between the standard G.652 fiber and
the multi-layer fiber is calculated. Raman amplifier using multi-layer fiber as a gain
medium is investigated using one pump as well as 2 pumps, ASE is calculated.

Keywords: Dispersion compensation, multi clad fiber, Raman amplification

1 INTRODUCTION (DCF)[4], chirped fiber Bragg grating (FBG) [5],[6],

In recent years DWDM optical communication is
seeing a steady mitigate from 2.5 to 40 Gbps over
each wavelength achieving higher spectral efficiency,
which is defined as the ratio of average transmission
rate to channel spacing. Amplification and dispersion
compensation/management have assumed great
importance as there are the main impairing factors for
achieving repeater less transmission distance in
excess of 100km over standard single mode fibers.
One of the earliest techniques suggested to reduce
the dispersion at 1550nm band was to tailor the
refractive index profile of a single mode fiber in such
a way that its zero dispersion wavelength is shifted
from the conventional 1310nm window to a round
1550nm[1]. These fibers, called dispersion shifted
fibers (DSF) through appeared promising for a while,
but, were found to be unusable in DWDM link due to
the fact that operating a fiber with near zero
dispersion is known to introduce nonlinear effects
like FWM[2]. It is known that FWM effect can be
greatly reduced by allowing a small but finite local
dispersion all along a DWDM link. This task could
be fulfilled either through dispersion management
(i.e. by combing alternate lengths of positive and
negative dispersion fibers [3]) or by employing so
called nonzero dispersion shifted fibers. Which is
designed to leave a small residual average dispersion
of 2.6ps/km.nm to omit nonlinear propagation effects
in the single mode fiber.
Chromatic dispersion is a linear effect and
inserting a component with opposite sign could
greatly reduce its detrimental effect in G.652 fibers at
the 1550nm band. Out of the several different
technique that have been proposed in the literature,
the ones which seem to hold immediate promise
could be classified as dispersion compensating fiber
high order mode (HOM) fibers[7].
In chirped grating the optical pitch (product
between the grating period and the mode effective
index) varies along length of the FBG. As a result,
resonant reflection frequency of the FBG becomes a
function of position along length of FBG. Thus, each
frequency component of a propagating pulse is
reflected from a different point along length of
chirped FBG. This is depending on the sign of the
chirp; a chirped FBG could impart either a positive or
negative dispersion to a propagating pulse [8]. Since,
dispersion compensation is achieved or reflection to
access the dispersion corrected pulse. And optical
circulator or a fiber coupler is required as an
additional component with associated insertion loss.
Further more, errors in the chirped phase mask
periodicity could lead to ripples in group delay with
wavelength.
The HOM technique exploits large negative
dispersion slop, which are characteristics of higher
order modes of a fiber relative to the fundamental
mode. Thus one requires a fiber, which supports
more than one mode at the operating wavelengths.
Further, conversion of power from the fundamental
to a higher order mode and reconverting the same
back to fundamental mode have not been as easy task
through lately there have been a number of promising
studies reported on the technique[9],[10].Out of all
these, by far the DCF technique has been the most
widely used technique. One of the main advantages
of this technical solution is that when appropriately
designed it can provide a passive system, in principle,
with negative chromatic dispersion coefficient D as
high as -5000ps/km.nm. Such a scheme should
compensate the positive chromatic dispersion over a
relatively short length of the DCF and having low
sensitivity to environmental influence (temperature,

UbiCC Journal, Volume 4, Number 3, August 2009 807

 vibertional, etc) like that of the signal carrying fiber
[11].
After a brief presentation of many possible
solutions usable to compensate dispersion, we will
discuses the multi-layer fiber design in the next
section. Different variations in refractive index
profiles with several layers and different shapes had
been simulated in previous work [11],[12], but, step
index profiles composed of two concentric spatially
separated cores appears to give the best performances
according to the fabrication constraints. The third
section focuses on the splicing losses between the
multi-layer fiber and the standard G.652 fiber. The
use of multi-layer fiber with Raman amplifier will be
discussed in the fourth section. Finally, conclusions
are presented in section 5.
2 Multi-layer Fiber
Fig. 1 shows the refractive index profile of the
multi-layer fiber which has a dual core design. It
consists of two concentric cores: the inner core with a
large and the outer core with a small . Here is
defined as i = ( ni n3 ) / 2 n3 .where 1=0.02 and
2 2 2 the fundamental supermode.
2=0.003, n3 is calculated with the well known
Sellmeier equation:
3
Ai . 2
n32 = 1 +
j =1 ( B j )
2 2
with A1=0.6981388, A2=0.40865177, A3=0.89374039,
B1=0.070555513, B2=0.11765660, B3=9.8754039 are
the Sellmeier constants [13].
n1
n2
Multi-layer fiber n3
r1
1 0.2
Rod fiber 0 0
Tube fiber r2
2 (m)
r3
M fiber. Fig.(2) Evolution of the mode amplitude of the fundamental
Fig.(1) Refractive index profile of the multi-layer
UbiCC Journal, Volume 4, Number 3, August 2009
As seen from Fig. 1 multi-layer fiber has four
distinct regions: rod (0<r< r1), gap (r1<r<r2), barrier
(r2<r<r3), and clad (r>r3), and can be thought as
composed of two substructures namely rod and tube,
as indicated in the fig. (1).
It is seen from Fig.2 that at wavelengths shorter
than 1550nm the field is essentially confined to the
inner core and for which the guide essentially
functions like a step index single mode fiber, the
effect of the outer core being negligible.
Around 1550nm optical coupling takes place
between the inner and the outer core modes. At
wavelengths longer than 1550nm however, most of
the power of the fundamental mode spreads to the
outer core and is effectively guided in the outer core.
The fractional power in the second supermode of the
fiber, which is orthogonal to the first supermode, is
maximal in the outer core for wavelengths longer
than 1550nm. This phenomenon induces a rapid
change in the slope of the effective index (ne) versus
wavelength around 1550nm [11],[12]. Fig.3 depicts
the variation of ne as a function of the wavelength for
The resulting chromatic dispersion coefficient of
the fiber is then computed through the following
formula:
d 2 ne
(1) D= (2)
c d2
A sample result corresponding to the fiber
parameters in Fig.1 shown in Fig.4. Since such a
profile is easily attainable with common perform
fabrication systems.
1
Amplitude
0.8
0.6
0.4
1.5
5 5
20
10
1.55 010
15
1.6 15
-20 Radius (m)
20 20
supermode versus wavelength.
808
 The parameters of the two cores are chosen that
each of these supports a single azimuthally
symmetric mode in the operating range of
wavelengths. The fiber parameters are so optimized
that the two individual modes (corresponding to the
inner and the outer core) are nearly phase matched at
1550nm. In such a case, because the non-supermode,
this mode is expected to have a large dispersion, the
magnitude and spectral variation of which can be
optimized by varying the separation (r2-r1).the
behavior of the dispersion curve is sensitive to the
variation of the rod radius as see from Fig. 5.
3 Splice Losses
To calculate the splice loss between the standard
G.652 fiber and the designed multi-layer fiber, we
have used the analysis given in [14]. According to
this analysis the fractional power coupled from a
G.652 fiber to a multi-layer fiber is given by the
equation (4), where subscripts in (which is the
mode field shape) correspond to the fiber type. Thus,
the total splice loss, including both input and output
splices, is given by
Total splice loss= 20 log10 T
where,
2
2
G.652 Coaxial rdrd
T= 0 0
2 2
G.652 rdrd . Coaxial rdrd
G .652 Coaxial
0 0 0 0
Effective index
1.45
d( x )
1.445
1.2 1.26 1.32 1.38 1.44 1.5 1.56 1.62 1.68 1.74
10000 Wavelengthx (m)
Fig. 3. Evolution of effective index of the fundamental
supermode with wavelength.
To reduce the splice loss and its spectral
variation, we have considered the G.652 fiber to be
tapered by 40%. The effect of tapering has been
modeled as scaling of the fiber dimensions. This
results in the spreading of the model field of the
G.652 fiber, leading to a better overlap with the
fundamental supermode field of the multi-layer fiber
in addition.
UbiCC Journal, Volume 4, Number 3, August 2009
The spectral variation in the operating range of
wavelengths, assuming 40 % tapering of the G.652
fiber, including the effect of these wavelength
dependant losses in our analysis, we have iteratively
tuned the fiber parameters such that the net output
gain spectrum is flat. Fig.7 shows the spectral
variation of the total splice loss at the input and the
output splice
0
Dispersion ps/km.nm
f( x )
500
1000
1.4 1.5 1.6
x
Wavelength (m)
(3) Fig. 4. Evolution of the chromatic dispersion versus
wavelength.
4 Amplification
Fiber Raman amplifier (FRA) is considered to be
a key component to realize a next generation
(4) photonic networks because of its features of the noise
reduction, flexible gain bandwidth, and simple
configuration. The Raman amplifier configuration
with forward pumping is shown in Fig.8, the
pumping signals are launched into fiber through an
optical coupler and propagate a long with the
information signals that are fed at the fiber input [15].
A typical Raman gain spectrum for pure silica fiber is
shown in Fig. 9, for the pump wavelength of
1450nm. The optical signal gain strongly depends on
the Raman gain coefficient, which is a function of the
wavelength. The total amplified power over all signal
band of the optical fiber Raman amplifier with one
pumping source is Psig ( z ) = Psig ( , z )d , where is
the stokes frequency, and the signal spectral power
density Psig(,z) is the stokes power Ps(,z) in z point
1.8
along the fiber per unit frequency range.
Multi-layer fiber shows high Raman
amplification. Multi-layer fiber can be designed in a
manner that in the wavelength range where Raman
gain coefficient (gR) decreases, the effective area of
interaction Aeff also, decreases in almost the same
manner. Such that the effective Raman gain (gR/Aeff)
is reasonably flat on a large wavelength range. Using
multi-layer fiber with only one pump will achieve flat
gain Raman amplification over any band [16].
809
 3000
1000
00
-Dispersion ps/km.nm 2250
750
0

1500
500
0

250
750 0
0 1.5
3 1.52
4.5
0 6 1.53
7.5
0 1 2
0.9 9 1.54
3 4 5 6 10.5
1.55 (m)
1 7 12
8 9 10 11 13.5
1.1
12 151.56
r1 (m) 1.2

Fig. 5. Wavelength dependent dispersion curves for different r1

M
Standard SMF Multi-layer Standard SMF Coupler
G.652 fiber G.652 Input Output
signal signal
Forward
pumping
Splice Splice
Fig. 6. Input and output splices between PUMP
SMF(G.652) and multi-layer fiber. Figure 8. Configuration of Raman amplifier
with forward pumping.
1

0.8
Raman Gain coefficient (m/watt)
Total splice loss (dB)

1.9

0.6

g( )
122
f( x ) 1.8
0.4

0.2
1.7

0
1.45 1.5 1.55 1.6 1.65 1.7
3
1.42
1.6 Wavelength 10000
(m)
15.2 15.4 15.6 15.8 16
x
Wavelength (m) Figure 9. Raman gain spectrum in a pure silica
Fig. 7. Variation of the total spices loss at optical fiber for pump wavelength 1450nm.
the input and output splices.
Hence, the overlap between the pump and the
This fiber has a unique property that the effective signal fields starts to decrease, increasing the
Raman gain spectrum is inherently flat over a large effective area. Thus, by suitably choosing the fiber
wavelength range and the effective Raman gain parameters, phase matching wavelength and the
spectrum can be tuned by the fiber parameters.The pump wavelength, one can ensure that the decrease in
parameters of the two cores are chosen so that each Aeff almost compensates for the decrease in the
of them supports a single azimuthally symmetric Raman gain coefficient, such that a flat effective gain
mode in the operating range of wavelength. These spectrum is achieved.
parameters are optimized such that the two individual
modes (corresponding to the inner and the outer core) Hence, the mode field at the pump wavelength
are nearly phase matched at 1550 nm [17], [18]. 1450nm and the signal wavelengths will be tightly
confined to the inner core and thus the pump and the
The signal wavelengths below PWM will be signal overlap will be high, giving a small Aeff.
tightly confined to the inner core, leading to a high However, as the signal wavelength approaches and
pump-signal overlap, and thus a small Aeff. However, crosses the phase wavelength, the fractional power of
as the signal wavelength approaches the phase the fundamental mode will gradually increase in the
matching wavelength, the fractional power of the outer core.
fundamental mode will gradually increase in the
outer core.

UbiCC Journal, Volume 4, Number 3, August 2009 810

 0
Assuming the same parameters for all refractive
indices do not affect the general trend of the results
1.6
presented here. The effective index ne is shown in
e( )
Fig.3, for a multi-layer fiber with r1=1m, r2 =15m,

ASE Power (dB)

e2( ) 3.2
r3=22m. Fig.10, shows the effective Raman gain 3
spectrum using multi-layer fiber for the band model,
e1( ) 4.8
it is obvious that a flat effective gain spectrum with - 5
3dB is achievable over the range (1450-1550 nm), Single pump with IFGF
6.4 2 pumps with IFGF
corresponding ASE is shown in Fig. 12. Fig. 11 Multipumping
shows the effective Raman gain spectrum using
8
inherently flat gain with two pumps, such Raman 1.5 1.55 1.6 1.65

amplifier can serve as broadband amplifier (for C and 1.07 3. . (m)
Wavelength
10000
L bands) as well as dispersion compensating module. Figure 12. ASE power of the inherently flat gain fiber
It is also cost-effective since it uses only two pumps with single pump and two pumps.
(1426, 1486nm). The ASE curve is shown in Fig. 12, We show that using multi-layer fiber as gain
and by compare it with the multipumping scheme, we medium in Raman amplifier show that multi-layer
can conclude that decreasing the number of pumps, fiber is inherently flat gain (IFGF). The Raman
also decreases the ASE. amplifier with single pump using multi-layer fiber as
well as with two pumps is introduced; also, the ASE
0 is estimated. It is obvious that, decreasing the number
Band model of pumps also decreases the ASE. Here, we conclude
With IFGF
that Raman amplifier with two pumps using
Effective Raman gain

5
inherently flat gain fiber can cover the C and L bands
c1( )
for DWDM communication systems. MATHCAD is
12 .log( s1( 100 ) ) 10
used as an analytical programming tool.

15 REFERENCES
[1] M.A. Saifi, S. J. Lang, L. G. Cohen, and J. Stone, Triangular
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1.45 1.5 1.55 1.6 1.65
.
[2] G. P. Agrawal, Nonlinear fiber optics Third ed. Academic,
1.45 3
Wavelength (m)
10000 San Diego, Ca. 2001. ISBN: 0-12-045143-3.
[3] I.P. Kaminow, Optical fiber telecommunications, Elsevier
Figure 10. Effective Raman gain with inherently flat fiber with
Academic Press IV 2002. ISBN: 0-12-395172-0.
single pump. [4]A. Huttunen,"Optimization of dual-core and microstructure
fiber geometries for dispersion compensation and large mode
0
area", OPTICS EXPRESS, Vol.13, No.2, Jan. 2005.
[5] Ruchti, Randy , Performance of multiclad scintillating and
waveguide optical fibers readout with visible light photon
Effective Raman gain

5
counters Proc. SPIE Vol. 2007, p. 78-94,2007.
c( )
[6] B.J. Eggleton et al., Recompression of pulse broadened by
transmission through 10 km of non dispersion shifted fiber at
12 .log( s1( 100 ) ) 10 1.55m using 40 mm long optical fiber Bragg grating with
tunable chirp and central wavelength, IEEE Photon.
Technol. Lett. Vol.7, no. 5, 1995.
15
Band model [7] G. P. Agrawal, Raman Amplification in fiber optical
2 pump with IFGF communication systems 1st ed. Elsevier Academic Press,
2005. ISBN: 0-12-044506-9.
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1.45 1.5 1.55 1.6 1.65 [8] B.P. Pal, All fiber components, , in Electromagnetic field
1.45 3 . (m)
Wavelength
unconventional structures and material A. Lakhtakia and O.
N. Singh, Eds. Wiley, New York, 2000.
Figure 11. Effective Raman gain with inherently flat fiber [9] S. Ramachandran et al., All fiber grating based higher order
with two pumps. dispersion compensator for broadband compensation and
1000km transmission at 40Gbps, In Proc. ECOC2000, Paper
PD-25, 2000.
5 CONCLUSION [10] A.H.Gnauck, L. D. Garret, Y. Danziger, L. Levy and M.Shur,
Dispersion and dispersion slop compensation of NZ-DSF for
40 Gbps operation over the entire C band. In Proc. OFC
We briefly review the most usable solutions to 2000, Paper PD-8, 2000.
compensate dispersion. We also, study the effect of [11] K. Thyagarajan, R. K. Varshney, and P. Palai, A novel
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Techno. Lett, Vol.8, no.11 1996.
showing the effect of varying the geometric [12] P. Palai, R. K. Varshney, and K. Thyagarajan, A dispersion
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UbiCC Journal, Volume 4, Number 3, August 2009 811

[13] M. J. Adams, An Introduction to optical waveguides John
Willy & Sons, pp.213, 1981
[14] A. Ghatak and K. Thyagarajan, Introduction to fiber optics.
Cambridge Univ. Press, 2008.
[15] M.N. Islam,Raman Amplifiers for Telecommunications
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[16] S. P. Singh and N. Singh, "Nonlinear Effects in Optical Fiber:
Origin, Management and Applications", Progress In
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[17] I.P. Kaminow, Optical fiber telecommunications, Elsevier
Academic Press IV 2002. ISBN: 0-12-395172.

Ahmed Shaban Samra was born in Mansoura ,Egypt 1954. He

received the B.Sc. and the M.Sc degree in communications
engineering from Menoufia University 1977, 1982 respectively,
and the Ph.D. degree in optical communications and integrated
optics from ENSEG, Greroble, France in 1988. He is now an
associate professor at the faculty of engineering, Mansoura
University. His research interests are in the field of optical
communications and optical measurement technique.

Hani Ali Mahmoud Harb was born in Mansoura, Egypt 1976.

He received the B.Sc. in electronics engineering and the M.Sc
degree in communications engineering, both from Mansoura
University, Egypt, in 1999 and 2003, respectively. He is currently
working toward the Ph.D. degree in communications at Mansoura
University. His research activities have been devoted to optical
communication systems, optical CDMA, DWDM, and Raman
fiber amplifiers.

UbiCC Journal, Volume 4, Number 3, August 2009 812