INTRODUCTION TO

OPTICAL FIBRE
By Amitava Nath,MBA, FIE.
Divisional Engineer(BSNL), Guwahati.
 INTRODUCTION
Optical Fibre is a new medium in which
information (Voice, Data or Video) is transmitted
through a Glass or Plastic Fibre, in the form of
light.
The sequences of transmission are-
-Information is encoded into Electrical Signal
-Electrical Signals are converted into light signals.
-Light travels down the fibre
-A detector changes the Light Signals into Electrical
Signals
-Electrical Signals are decoded into information
 ADVANTAGES OF FIBRE OPTICS

• Optical Fibres are non-conductive (dielectric)

• Electromagnetic Immunity
• Large Bandwidth ( >50 Ghz for 1 Km)
• Low Loss (6 dB/km to < 0.25 dB/km)
• Small and light weight cables
• Available in long lengths (> 12 kms)
• Security
• Universal Medium
 APPLICATIONS OF FIBRE OPTICS
• Common carrier Nationwide Networks
• Telephone Inter-Office Trunk Lines
• Customer premise Communication Networks
• Under-Sea Cables
• High EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) areas
• Factory Communication/Automation
• Control Systems
• Expensive environments
• High lightning areas
• Military applications
• Classified (secured) Communications
 PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
Let us consider two media with refractive
indices n1 and n2 (n1>n2) and we assume that
Light moves from medium with r.i.= n1 to a
medium with r.i.= n2.
Here, the Light ray moves away from the
normal as it passes from denser medium to rarer
medium.
If the angle of incidence (θ1) in the denser
medium is increased, then the angle of
refraction(θ2) in the rarer goes on further
increasing. If this continues, then for a certain
angle of incidence, the angle of refraction
becomes 90 degree.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION (Contd.)

The angle of incidence θ1 for which

angle of refraction θ2 becomes 90 degree is
known as Critical angle.
If θ1 goes beyond Critical angle, then
the refracted ray returns back to the denser
incident medium and then the laws of reflection
are followed instead of the laws of refraction.
Here, we take θ2 as the angle of reflection and
we have θ1 = θ2 . This is the phenomenon of
Total Internal Reflection which forms the basis of
the Light propagation through an Optical Fibre.
 n1 = 1.48
n2 = 1.46

REFLECTED RAYS
INCIDENT RAYS 1
2 ¢i

n1 3
3
2

¢r
1
n2
REFRACTED RAYS
PRINCIPLE OF OPTICAL FIBRE OPERATION
 OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE
• The Optical Fibre has two concentric layers-
-The Core which forms inner part.
-The Cladding which is the outer part.
• The inner Core is the Light carrying part.
• The index of the Cladding is 1% less than that
of the Core.
• The typical values for r.i. of the Core is 1.47
while that for the Cladding is 1.46.
• Most of the Fibres have additional coating
around the Cladding. This is a shock absorber
and does not have any optical properties.
 The Optical Fibre

8-10 m
Core 125 m

Cladding
 PROPAGATION THROUGH THE
FIBRE
• Light ray is injected into the Core and strikes the
Core to Cladding interface at an angle greater
than the Critical angle.
• Due to the phenomenon of Internal Reflection,
the Light ray is reflected back into the Core. The
reflected Light ray strikes other side of the Core
to Cladding interface and again reflection occurs
into the same medium of Core. This process
continues and Light advances in a zigzag
fashion along the length of the Fibre.
 Light propagation in fibre

3
2
1
 FACTORS DECIDING LIGHT
PROPAGATION

The specific characteristic of light through a

fibre depends on many factors which may be-
-The size of the Fibre
-The composition of the Fibre
-The Light injected into the Fibre
The Optical Fibre consists of a Core usually
of Silica or Borosilicate glass surrounded by a
Cladding of the same material but of slightly
lower r.i.
 FIBRE SIZES
• Fibres have exceedingly small diameters. We
put below Core and Cladding diameters-
Core (µm) Cladding (µm)
8 125
50 125
62.5 125
100 140
• Fibre sizes are usually expressed by first giving
the Core size followed by the Cladding size.
Thus 50/125 means a Core diameter of 50 µm
and Cladding diameter of 125 µm.
 OPTICAL TRANSMITTERS
• In Optical Line Systems we need light sources in the
infra-red spectum part.
• The wavelengths used are in one of the following
windows of Optical Fibres-
850nm, 1300 nm, and 1550 nm.
• Features of an ideal source for Fibre Optic
Communication are-
-High brightness
-Small emission area
-Small emission Core angle
-Fast response to electrical modulation
-Long life
-Emission wavelength compatible with Fibre
 Optical Transmitting Devices
• Commonly there are two Semi-conductor devices for
using as Optical Transmitters-
-LED (Light Emitting Diode)
-LASER ( Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation ) Diodes
• LEDs are composed of a P-N junction with doped
semiconductor layers. Injected electrons combine with
‘holes’ in the P-layer where this phenomenon results in
emission of Photons.
• In case of LASER Diodes, the emission of Photons are
spontaneous and are stimulated by other Photons ( by
amplifying light) and we get large quantities of high
energy Photons emitted.
 CATEGORIES OF LEDs

– There are LEDs of two categories.

• Surface Emitting LEDs
• Edge Emitting LEDs
– Surface Emitting LEDs radiate Photons in a
pattern where power diminishes away from a
direction normal to the surface.
– Edge Emitting LEDs can concentrate
radiation with improved coupling efficiency.
 OPERATING PRINCIPLE
OF LASER DIODE
• The Energy levels of the Electrons in an atom/molecule
may be written as E1, E2, E3, E4 etc.
• If an Electron goes from E1 to E2, E3 etc. there will be
absorption of energy.
• On the other hand if the Electron comes from E4 to E3 or
E2 or E1 etc , there will be emission of energy in the
form of radiation. The radiation consists of Photons of
various energy levels. This will be spontaneous.
• If the photons at the time of spontaneous emission are
stimulated by other Photons ( I.e., by amplifying light ),
the situation is called Stimulated Emission and we will
get very large quantities of high energy photons. This is
the principle used in LASER Diodes.
 OPTICAL DETECTOR
• The Optical Detector converts Optical Energy into Electrical
Energy.
• It is basically an Opto-Electronic Transducer doing the opposite
function of an Optical Source.
• There are two distinct mechanisms for Photo detection-
– External Photo-Electric Effect
– Internal Photo Electric Effect
• In External Photo-Electric Effect , the Electrons are freed from
the surface of a metal by the Energy absorbed from an incident
stream of Photons. The Vacuum Photodiode and the Photo
Multiplier Tubes come under this category.
• In Internal Photo Electric Effect , Semi-conductor Devices allow
generation of free Charge carriers , Electrons and Holes by
absorption of Incoming Photons. PIN Photo Diode and APD
come under this category.
 PIN PHOTODIODE
• PIN stands for Positive, Intrinsic, Negative.
• PIN Photodiode has resistive Intrinsic layer sand-witched
in between P and N layers. The width of Intrinsic layer is
sufficient and the depletion layer is spread over the
Intrinsic layer under the influence of high field due to
reverse bias.
• Under reverse bias condition, when a Photon enters the
depletion region, it is absorbed and a pair of Electron
and Hole are generated. The Electron and the Hole so
generated move towards the opposite Electrodes. This
results in the flow of Current in the external field.
• The PIN Photo Diodes have lower capacitance, high
Quantum efficiency and high speed of operation.
 APD ( AVALANCHE PHOTO DIODES )

• The APD has a very wide Intrinsic Layer in between the

P and N Semiconductor materials. Provision of another
P type material in between the N type material and the
Intrinsic layer makes working much more efficient.
• As the Photon enters the Intrinsic layer, Electron-Hole
pairs are formed. Movement of the Charge carriers
towards the opposite terminals results in collision inside
the Diode with neutral atoms. As a result of such
collision more numbers of Electron-Hole pairs are
generated. Consequently, we get large flow of current in
the external Circuit.
• APDs are often influenced by various Noises.
GENERAL FEATURES OF DETECTORS
• The Detectors are supposed to have the following
characteristics-

– High efficiency
– Fast response
– Low Noise
– Small Size
– Light Weight
– Long Life
– Reliability
– Low Cost
THANKS