4.

Optical Fibers

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Anatomy of an Optical Fiber

Light confined to core with higher index of refraction Two analysis approaches Ray tracing Field propagation using Maxwells equations
2

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Optical Fiber Analysis

Calculation of modes supported by an optical fiber Intensity profile Phase propagation constant Effect of fiber on signal propagation Signal attenuation Pulse spreading through dispersion

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Critical Angle

Ray bends at boundary between materials

n2 sin U 2 ! n1 sin U1
n U 2 ! sin 1 2 sin U1 n 1 Light confined to core if propagation angle is greater than the critical angle Total internal reflection (TIR)
Snells law

U1 " U c ! sin 1

n2

n1

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Constructive Interference

Propagation requires constructive interference Wave stays in phase after multiple reflections Only discrete angles greater than the critical angle are allowed to propagate

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Numerical Aperture
The acceptance angle for a fiber defines its numerical aperture (NA)

The NA is related to the critical angle of the waveguide and is defined as:
2 NA ! sin  i ! n12  n2 U

Telecommunications optical fiber n1~n2,

2 NA ! n12  n2 !

n1  n2 n1  n2 $
!

2 n12

n1  n2 n1

$ n1 2 (
Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005

n1  n2 n1
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Modes
The optical fiber support a set of discrete modes Qualitatively these modes can be thought of as different propagation angles

A mode is characterized by its propagation constant in the z-direction Fz With geometrical optics this is given by The goal is to calculate the value of Remember that the range of
z z

F zi ! n1 k0 sin  i U

is

n2 k o

Fz

n1 ko
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Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Optical Fiber Modes

The optical fiber has a circular waveguide instead of planar The solutions to Maxwells equations Fields in core are non-decaying J, Y Bessel functions of first and second kind Fields in cladding are decaying K modified Bessel functions of second kind Solutions vary with radius r and angle U There are two mode number to specify the mode m is the radial mode number R is the angular mode number

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Bessel Functions

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Transcendental Equation
Under the weakly guiding approximation (n1-n2)<<1 Valid for standard telecommunications fibers

K l'  a J l' kT a ! a kT a Kl  a J l kT a
2 kT ! n12 k o2  F 2 2 K 2 ! F 2  n2 ko2

Substitute to eliminate the derivatives

J l' x ! s J l s1 x O l

J l x x

K l' x !  K l s1 x O l

K l x x

kT a

J l 1 kT a K K a or ! K a l 1 Jl  a K l K a
HE Modes

kT a

J l 1 kT a K K a ! K a l 1 J l kT a K l K a
EH Modes
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Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Bessel Function Relationships

Bessel function recursive relationships

J  n x !  1 J n x
n

K  n x ! K n x

2n J n 1 x ! J n x  J n1 x x 2 J 0 x ! J1 x  J 2 x x
Small angle approximations

2n K n 1 x !  K n x  K n 1 x x 2 K 0 x !  K1 x  K 2 x x

x  ln 2  0.5772 n ! 0 K n x p n  1 ! 2 n n " 0 2 x
Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005 11

Lowest Order Modes

Look at the l=-1, 0, 1 modes

x ! kT a

y !K a

V ! x2  y2 !

2T 2 a n12  n2 P

Use bessel function properties to get positive order and highest order on top l=-1

J  2 x K  2 y x ! y J 1 x K 1 y J x K y x 2 !y 2 J1 x K1 y

J 0 x K 0 y x ! y J1 x K1 y J 2 x K y x !y 2 J1 x K1 y

l=0

J 1 x K y !  y 1 J 0 x K 0 y

J1 x K1 y x !y J 0 x K 0 y
Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005

J1 x K1 y x !y J 0 x K 0 y

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Lowest Order Modes cont.

l=+1

J 0 x K 0 y x ! y J1 x K1 y

J 2 x K y !y 2 J1 x K1 y

J 2 x K y !y 2 J1 x K1 y

So the 6 equations collapse down to 2 equations

K y J 2 x !y 2 J1 x K1 y

J1 x K1 y x !y J 0 x K 0 y

lowest modes
Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005 13

Modes
20

15 LH S , R H S

10

4 x (kT a)

10

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

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Fiber Modes

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

15

Hybrid Fiber Modes

The refractive index difference between the core and cladding is very small There is degeneracy between modes Groups of modes travel with the same velocity (Fz equal) These hybrid modes are approximated with nearly linearly polarized modes called LP modes LP01 from HE11 LP0m from HE1m LP1m sum of TE0m, TM0m, and HE2m LPRm sum of HER+1,m and EHR-1,m

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

16

First Mode Cut-Off

First mode What is the smallest allowable V Let y 0 and the corresponding x V

1 2 y J1  V K1 y 2 y !0 V ! lim y ! lim y p0 y p0 y J0  V K 0 y  ln  0.5772 2

J1  ! 0 V
So V=0, no cut-off for lowest order mode Same as a symmetric slab waveguide

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

17

Second Mode Cut-Off

Second mode

1 2 y J2  V K 2 y 2 y V ! lim y ! lim !2 J1  y p0 K1 y y p 0 1 2 V 2 y

2 J1  V V 2n J n 1 x ! J n x  J n 1 x x 2 J 2 x ! J1 x  J 0 x x 2 2 J1   J o  ! J1  V V V V V J 2  ! V
J o  ! 0 V

V ! 2.405
Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005 18

Cut-off V-parameter for low-order LPlm modes

m=1 l=0 l=1 0 2.405

m=2 3.832 5.520

m=3 7.016 8.654

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

19

Number of Modes
The number of modes can be characterized by the normalized frequency

V!

2T 2 a n12  n2 P
2 ! n12  n2

Most standard optical fibers are characterized by their numerical aperture

Normalized frequency is related to numerical aperture

V!

2T a NA P

The optical fiber is single mode if V<2.405 For large normalized frequency the number of modes is approximately

# Modes }

4 2 V 2 T
Fiber Optics Fall 2005

Stephen Schultz

20

Intensity Profiles

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

21

Standard Single Mode Optical Fibers

Most common single mode optical fiber: SMF28 from Corning Core diameter dcore=8.2 Qm Outer cladding diameter: dclad=125Qm Step index

Numerical Aperture NA=0.14 NA=sin(U) (U=8 Pcutoff = 1260nm (single mode for P"Pcutoff) Single mode for both P=1300nm and P=1550nm standard telecommunications wavelengths

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

22

Standard Multimode Optical Fibers

Most common multimode optical fiber: 62.5/125 from Corning Core diameter dcore= 62.5 Qm Outer cladding diameter: dclad=125Qm Graded index

Numerical Aperture NA=0.275 NA=sin(U) (U=16 Many modes

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

23

5. Optical Fibers Attenuation

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

24

Coaxial Vs. Optical Fiber Attenuation

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

25

Fiber Attenuation
Loss or attenuation is a limiting parameter in fiber optic systems Fiber optic transmission systems became competitive with electrical transmission lines only when losses were reduced to allow signal transmission over distances greater than 10 km Fiber attenuation can be described by the general relation:
dP dz
! E P

where E is the power attenuation coefficient per unit length If Pin power is launched into the fiber, the power remaining after propagating a length L within the fiber Pout is
Pout ! Pin exp  E L

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

26

Fiber Attenuation
Attenuation is conveniently expressed in terms of dB/km
Pout 10 E dB km !  log10 P L in

Pin e EL 10 !  log10 L in

10  EL log10 e L ! 4.34E
!

Power is often expressed in dBm (dBm is dB from 1mW)

10 mW P ! 10 mW ! 10 log10 1 mW ! 10 dBm

27 10 P ! 27 dBm ! 1 mW 10 ! 501 mW

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

27

Fiber Attenuation
Example: 10mW of power is launched into an optical fiber that has an attenuation of E=0.6 dB/km. What is the received power after traveling a distance of 100 km? Initial power is: Pin = 10 dBm Received power is: Pout= Pin E L=10 dBm (0.6)(100) = -50 dBm

Pout !  50 10 1 mW ! 10 nW 10
Example: 8mW of power is launched into an optical fiber that has an attenuation of E=0.6 dB/km. The received power needs to be -22dBm. What is the maximum transmission distance? Initial power is: Pin = 10log10(8) = 9 dBm Received power is: Pout = 1mW 10-2.2 = 6.3 QW Pout - Pin = 9dBm - (-22dBm) = 31dB = 0.6 L L=51.7 km

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

28

Material Absorption
Material absorption Intrinsic: caused by atomic resonance of the fiber material Ultra-violet Infra-red: primary intrinsic absorption for optical communications Extrinsic: caused by atomic absorptions of external particles in the fiber Primarily caused by the O-H bond in water that has absorption peaks at P=2.8, 1.4, 0.93, 0.7 Qm Interaction between O-H bond and SiO2 glass at P=1.24 Qm The most important absorption peaks are at P=1.4 Qm and 1.24 Qm

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

29

Scattering Loss
There are four primary kinds of scattering loss Rayleigh scattering is the most important
E R ! cR

1 P4

dB / km

where cR is the Rayleigh scattering coefficient and is the range from 0.8 to 1.0 (dB/km)(Qm)4 Mie scattering is caused by inhomogeneity in the surface of the waveguide Mie scattering is typically very small in optical fibers Brillouin and Raman scattering depend on the intensity of the power in the optical fiber Insignificant unless the power is greater than 100mW

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

30

Absorption and Scattering Loss

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

31

Absorption and Scattering Loss

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

32

Loss on Standard Optical Fiber

Wavelength 850 nm 1300 nm 1380 nm 1550 nm

SMF28 1.8 dB/km 0.35 dB/km 0.50 dB/km 0.19 dB/km

62.5/125 2.72 dB/km 0.52 dB/km 0.92 dB/km 0.29 dB/km

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

33

External Losses
Bending loss Radiation loss at bends in the optical fiber Insignificant unless R<1mm Larger radius of curvature becomes more significant if there are accumulated bending losses over a long distance Coupling and splicing loss Misalignment of core centers Tilt Air gaps End face reflections Mode mismatches

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

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6. Optical Fiber Dispersion

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

35

Dispersion

Dispersive medium: velocity of propagation depends on frequency Dispersion causes temporal pulse spreading Pulse overlap results in indistinguishable data Inter symbol interference (ISI) Dispersion is related to the velocity of the pulse

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

36

Intermodal Dispersion

Higher order modes have a longer path length Longer path length has a longer propagation time Temporal pulse separation

(L vg vg is used as the propagation speed for the rays to take into account the material dispersion (X !

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

37

Group Velocity
Remember that group velocity is defined as
xF vg ! x[
1

For a plane wave traveling in glass of index n1 Resulting in

xF x[ !

F ! n1

[ c

n1 [ xn1  c c x[ 1 xn1  n1 [ c x[ n1g c

1

c xF vg ! ! n1g x[
Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005

n1 g ! n1  [

xn1 x[
38

Intermodal Dispersion

Path length PL depends on the propagation angle L PL ! sinU1 The travel time for a longitudinal distance of L is
X!

PL L ! v g v g sinU1

Temporal pulse separation

1 1 (X ! L  v g sin U 2 v g sin U1

The dispersion is time delay per unit length or

Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005

1 1  D! v sin U vg sin U1 2 g
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Step Index Multimode Fiber

Step index multimode fiber has a large number of modes Intermodal dispersion is the maximum delay minus the minimum delay Highest order mode (U~Uc) Lowest order mode (U~90)

n1g n1 1 1 ! ! vg 2 v g sin U c c n2
Dispersion becomes

n1g 1 1 ! ! vg1 v g sin 90 c

n1g n1 n1g n1  n2 n1g  1 ! D! c n ! c ( n c 2 2

The modes are not equally excited The overall dispersed pulse has an rms pulse spread of approximately

n1g ( D! c 2
Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005 40

Graded Index Multimode Fiber

Higher order modes Larger propagation length Travel farther into the cladding Speed increases with distance away from the core (decreasing index of refraction) Relative difference in propagation speed is less

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

41

Graded Index Multimode Fiber

Refractive index profile

n1 nr !

r 1 2 ( a

n1 1  2 ( ! n2

r"a

The intermodal dispersion is smaller than for step index multimode fiber

Dinter

n1g (2 ! c 4

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

42

Intramodal Dispersion

Single mode optical fibers have zero intermodal dispersion (only one mode) Propagation velocity of the signal depends on the wavelength Expand the propagation delay as a Taylor series 2 xX g 1 2 x Xg .  Po  P X g ! X g Po  Po  P 2 xP xP 2 Dispersion is defined as

x 1 x xF z ! ! Dintra | xP xP v g xP x[ Propagation delay becomes 1 2 xDintra X g $ X g Po  Po  P Dintra  Po  P xP 2 xX g

Keeping the first two terms, the pulse width increase for a laser linewidth of (P is

(X g ! Dintra (P
Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005 43

Intramodal Dispersion
Intramodal dispersion is Dintra !
x xF z x xF z xF1 ! xF x[ xP x[ xP 1

There are two components to intramodal dispersion Dintra ! 1 xn1g xF z n1g x xF z  xF | Dmaterial  Dwaveguide c xP xF 1 c xP 1

Material dispersion is related to the dependence of index of refraction on wavelength Waveguide dispersion is related to dimensions of the waveguide

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

44

Material Dispersion
Material dispersion depends on the material

Dmaterial !

1 xn1g xF z c xP xF1

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

45

Waveguide Dispersion
Waveguide dispersion depends on the dimensions of the waveguide Dwaveguide ! Expanded to give Dwaveguide n1g x xF z xF c xP 1

n1 g n1g 2 x 2 F z x F z  2V ! V 2 xV F 1 c n1 P xV F1

where V is the normalized frequency

V !ka
Practical optical fibers are weekly guiding (n1-n2 <<1) resulting in the simplification Dwaveguide

n !

1g

 n2 g

cP

x2 V V b 2 xV

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

46

Total Intramodal Dispersion

Total dispersion can be designed to be zero at a specific wavelength Standard single mode telecommunications fiber has zero dispersion around P=1.3 Qm Dispersion shift fiber has the zero dispersion shifted to around P=1.55 Qm

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

47

Standard Optical Fiber Dispersion

Standard optical fiber Step index (0.0036 Graded index (0.02 Dispersion Step index multi-mode optical fiber (Dtot~10ns/km)

Dtot ! Dinter !

n1g ( c 2

Graded index multi-mode optical fiber (Dtot~0.5ns/km)

Dtot ! Dinter

n1g (2 ! c 4

Single mode optical fiber (Dintra~18ps/km nm)

Dtot ! Dintra (P

Stephen Schultz

Fiber Optics Fall 2005

48

What is the laser linewidth?

Wavelength linewidth is a combination of inherent laser linewidth and linewidth change caused by modulation

(P ! (P2  (P2 laser mod

Single mode FP laser (Plaser~2nm Multimode FP laser or LED (Plaser~30nm DFB laser (Plaser~0.01nm Laser linewidth due to modulation (f~2B c f ! P xf c ! 2 xP P P2 (P ! (f c P2 (P ! 2B c
Stephen Schultz Fiber Optics Fall 2005 49