Light propagation in optical fiber

Introduction
Light thought of as a wave
Electric field component (E) can be expressed mathematically as

E=E 0 cos ( wtkx +)

Where

E0

= amplitude of electric field (V/m)

=2 f =

angular frequency (rad/s)

F= optical frequency (Hz)

t = time (s)

k=

x=

= wavenumber or propagation constant (rad/m)

distance (m)

= optical wavelength (m)

= phase constant (rad)

Light thought of as a wave

Velocity of propagation
C
V =f = 0
n
Where

C0 =3 108 m/s

velocity of the light in free space

n= refractive index of the medium in which light is propagating

Basic principles of light propagation

Ray Theory (Geometrical Optics)

1

Law of reflection

I =r
Law of refraction (Snells law)

n1 sin 1=n2 sin 2

Where

n1 and n2 are refractive index of two materials

1 and

2 the angle of incident and refraction respectively

Critical angles
If

n1 >n2

, then we can have

When the angle of refraction

is 90o, the refracted ray emerges parallel to the

interface between the media.

Critical angle of incidence

Total Reflection
At angles of incidence

> c, the light is totally reflected back into the

incidence higher refractive index medium. This is known as total internal reflection
(T. I. R)

Optical fiber
3

An optical fiber is a dielectric waveguide that operates at optical frequencies.

Typical structure of an optical fiber is shown in figure

The cylinder in the middle of the fiber id known as core. The core is
n2
surrounded by a solid dielectric cladding. The refractive index
of the
cladding is less than the refractive index

n1

of the core. Most fibers are

encapsulated in an elastic, abrasion-resistant plastic material in order to add

strength to the fiber itself.

Different type of optical fiber

Monmode step-index fiber

The core diameter is almost equal to the equal to the wave length of the emitted
light so that it propagates along a single path
Multimode step-index fiber

Core and Cladding material has uniform but different refractive index.
Multimode graded-index fiber

Core and Cladding material has uniform but different refractive index

Fiber Optics Transmission

Low Attenuation
Very High Bandwidth (THz)
Small Size and Low Weight
No Electromagnetic Interference
Low Security Risk
Elements of Optical Transmission

Elements of Optical Transmission

Electrical-to-optical Transducers
Optical Media
Optical-to-electrical Transducers
Digital Signal Processing, repeaters and clock recovery

Transducers
Electrical-to-Optical Transducers
LED - Light Emitting Diode is inexpensive, reliable but can support only lower
bandwidth.
LD Laser Diode provides high bandwidth and narrow spectrum
Optical-to-Electrical Transducers
PIN Diode - Silicone or InGaAs based p-i-n Diode operates well at low
bandwidth.
Avalanche Diode Silicone or InGaAs Diode with internal gain can work with
high data rate.

Transmission Limitations
5

Transmission over fiber is limited by the attenuation and dispersion

Multimode fibers may experience
Multimode dispersion: The delayed rays cause pulse spreading
Chromatic dispersion: Individual wavelengths may travel at different
speeds
Dispersion creates an inherent operational limit defined as a bandwidthdistance product (BDP)