16.

711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Today
Fiber modes
Fiber Losses
Dispersion in single-mode fibers
Dispersion induced limitations
Dispersion management
The Graded index fibers

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Fiber modes --- single mode and multi-mode fibers
V-number
V

2a 2
2a 2
(n1 n22 )1/ 2 , Vcutoff
(n1 n22 )1/ 2 2.41,

Number of modes when V>>2.41

V2
M
,
2
Normalized propagation constant
b

2
neff
n22

n12 n22

b (1.1428 0.996 / V ) 2 , for V between 1.5 2.5.

Mode field diameter (MFD)

2 w 2a (1

1
),
V

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Examples --- single mode and multi-mode fibers
1. Calculate the number of allowed modes in a multimode step index fiber, a = 100 m, core
index of 1.468 and a cladding index of 1.447 at the wavelength of 850nm.
Solution:

2a 2
V
(n1 n22 )1/ 2 91.44,

V2
M
4181,
2

2. What should be the core radius of a single mode fiber that has the core index of 1.468 and the
cladding index of 1.447 at the wavelength of 1.3m.
Solution:

2a 2
(n1 n22 )1/ 2 2.4, a < 2.1m

3. Calculate the mode field diameter of a single mode fiber that has the core index of 1.458 and
the cladding index of 1.452 at the wavelength of 1.3m.
Solution:

2 w0 2a (1 1 / V ) 10.1m,

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Fiber loss

Material absorption
silica electron resonance <0.4m
OH vibrational resonance ~ 2.73 m
Harmonic and combination tones ~1.39 m
1.24 m, 0.95 m

Rayleigh scattering
Local microscopic fluctuations in density

C
,
4

C~ 0.8dB/km m4

0.14dB loss @ 1.55m

Bending loss and Bending radius

exp( R / Rc ), Rc

a
,
n12 n23

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersions in single mode fiber
Material dispersion
d
L
vg
| 0 , g ,
d
vg

d 2n
Dm ( 2 ),
c d

d
d 2n
( ) ( 2 ) ,
L
d
c d

g Dm L ,

Example --- material dispersion

Calculate the material dispersion effect for LED with line width of 100nm and a laser with a line
width of 2nm for a fiber with dispersion coefficient of Dm = 22pskm-1nm-1 at 1310nm.
Solution:

Dm L 2.2ns, for the LED

Dm L 44 ps,

for the Laser

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersions in single mode fiber
Waveguide dispersion
d
L
vg
| 0 , g ,
d
vg

d
n2 (n1 n2 ) d 2 (Vb)
( )
V
,
2
L
d
c
dV

1.984 N g 2
d
n2 (n1 n2 ) d 2 (Vb)
( )
, Dw
V
,
L
d
(2a) 2 2cn22
c
dV 2

g Dm L ,

Example --- waveguide dispersion

n2 = 1.48, and delta n = 0.2 percent. Calculate Dw at 1310nm.
Solution:

b (1.1428 0.996 / V ) 2 , for V between 1.5 2.5.

d 2 (Vb)
V
0.26,
dV 2

n2 (n1 n2 ) d 2 (Vb)
Dw
V
1.9 ps /( nm km),
c
dV 2

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

chromatic dispersion (material plus waveduide dispersion)
g
L

( Dm Dw ) ,

material dispersion is determined by

the material composition of a fiber.
waveguide dispersion is determined
by the waveguide index profile of a
fiber

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Polarization mode dispersion
g

D p ,

L
fiber is not perfectly symmetric,
inhomogeneous.
refractive index is not isotropic.

dispersion flattened fibers:

Use waveguide geometry and
index profiles to compensate
the material dispersion

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersion induced limitations

For RZ bit With no intersymbol interference

B

1
,
2 1/ 2

For NRZ bit With no intersymbol interference

1
B
,
1/ 2

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersion induced limitations
Optical and Electrical Bandwidth

1
,
2 1/ 2

f 3dB 0.7 B,

Bandwidth length product

BL

0.25
,
D

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersion induced limitations
Example --- bit rate and bandwidth
Calculate the bandwidth and length product for an optical fiber with chromatic dispersion
coefficient 8pskm-1nm-1 and optical bandwidth for 10km of this kind of fiber and linewidth of
2nm.
Solution:

1/ 2 / L D 16 pskm 1 ,

BL

0.25
36.9Gbs 1km,
D

f 3dB 0.7 B 2.8GHz,

Fiber limiting factor absorption or dispersion?

Loss 0.25dB 10km 2.5dB,

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersion Management
Pre compensation schemes
1.

Prechirp

Gaussian Pulse:
1 t
A(0, t ) A0 exp[ ( ) 2 ],
2 T0

2T02
~
2 1/ 2
A(0, ) A0 (2T0 ) exp(
),
2

dk
1 d 2k
k ( ) k 0
| ( 0 )
| ...,
d 0
2 d 2 0
k ( )
d
d 2
1
( )
0
| 0 ( 0 )
|
...

2 ( ) 2 ...,
0
1
2 0
c
d
d
2

i
~
~
A( z , ) A(0, ) exp( 2 z ),
2
A0
1 ~
i
1
A( z , t )
A
(
0
,

)
exp(

)
d

exp[

],
0
2
2
2
2
2
T
Q
(
z
)
Q( z )
0

Q( z ) 1

i 2 z
2 z 2 1/ 2
,
T
(
z
)

[
1

(
) ] T0 ,
T02
T02

1
,
T0

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersion Management
Pre compensation schemes
1.

Prechirp

Prechirped Gaussian Pulse:

2T02 1/ 2
2T02
~
A(0, ) A0 (
) exp(
),
1 iC
2(1 iC )

A(0, t ) A0 exp[

(1 iC ) t 2
( ) ],
2
T0

2
i
2T02 1/ 2
2T02
~
~
2
2 iCT0 2
A( z , ) A(0, ) exp( 2 z ) A0 (
) exp[

],
2
1 iC
2(1 C 2 )
(1 C 2 )
1
0 (1 C 2 )1/ 2 ,
T0

A( z , t )

1
2

Q( z ) 1

A0
i
1
~
A
(
0
,

)
exp(

)
d

exp[

],
0
2
2

2
2
T
Q
(
z
)
Q( z )
0

(C i ) 2 z
C 2 z 2 2 z 2 1 / 2
,
T
(
z
)

[(
1

) ( 2 ) ] T0 ,
2
2
T0
T0
T0

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersion Management
1.

Prechirp

With T1/T0 = sqrt(2), the transmission distance is:

C 1 2C 2
L
LD ,
1 C 2

LD T02 / 2 ,

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersion Management
Examples:
1. Whats the dispersion limited transmission distance for a 1.55m light wave system making
use of direct modulation at 10Gb/s? D = 17ps(km-nm). Assume that frequency chirping broadens
the guassian-shape by a factor of 6 from its transform limited width.
Solution:

1
5 10 11 ( s ), T0 TFWHM / 1.66 3 10 11 s,
2B
1
0 (1 C 2 )1/ 2 , C 5.9,
T0
2
2c
D 2 2 , 2 24 ps / km,

TFWHM

T ( z ) [(1
z 12km,

C 2 z 2 2 z 2 1 / 2
) ( 2 ) ] T0 T0 ,
2
T0
T0

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

Dispersion compensation fiber or dispersion shifted fiber

Why dispersion compensation fiber:

for long haul fiber optic communication.
Alloptical solution

D1 L1 D2 L2 0

Approaches
d 2n
Dm ( 2 ),
c d
longer wavelength has
a larger index.
make the waveguide
weakly guided so that
longer wavelength has a
lower index.

16.711 Lecture 3 Optical fibers

The Graded index fibers
n1[1 ( / a ) ];

n( )

d 2 1 dn

,
2
dz
n d

D1 L1 D2 L2 0

n1(1 ) n2 ;

a,
a,

0 cos( pz ) 0 ' sin( pz ),

Approaches

p (2 / a 2 )1/ 2 , z 2 / p,

Only valid for paraxial approximation

General case Intermode dispersion

n1
2 ,
20 3c

Calculate the BL product of a grade index filber of 50m core with refractive index of n1 =
1.480 and n2 = 1.460. At 1.3 m.
Solution:

n1
2 0.026ns,
20 3c

BL

0.25L
9.6Gbs 1km,