Communications Systems II, Fourth stage- Lec.

14 2020-2021

14. Optical Communication systems

14.1 Optical Fibers
An optical fiber is a glass or plastic fiber designed to guide light along its length by total
internal reflection. Optical fibbers are widely used in Fiber-optic communication, which
permits digital data transmission over longer distances and at higher data rates than other
forms of wired and wireless communications. They are also used to form sensors, and in a
variety of other applications. Modern optical fibers were only developed beginning in the
1950s. Optical fibers become potential in the late 1970s.

14.2 Optical fiber composition

An optical fiber is a dielectric waveguide made of glass or plastic. Optical fibers is a
non-conductor of electricity.
It consists of three distinct regions
a- A core.
b- The cladding.
c- A sheath or jacket.
The index of refraction of the assembly varies across the radius of the cable.
The core has a constant or smoothly varying index of refraction called , and the
cladding region having another constant index of refraction called .
The core possess a high refractive index, whereas the cladding in constructed to have
a lower refractive index.
The result of the difference in the refractive indexes is to keep light flowing through
the core after it gets into the core.
Figure 14.1 shows the optical fiber construction .

Figure 14.1: Typical single-mode optical fiber.

The most important problem encountered with optical fibers was the high attenuation.
There were typically of the order of 1000dB/Km. Today values below 1 dB/Km can
be achieved.

Dr. Hasanain A. Hasan – University of Misan / Department of Electrical Engineering

Communications Systems II, Fourth stage- Lec.14 2020-2021

If a beam of power is launched into one end of an optical fiber, and is the power
remaining after a length L Km has been traversed ,

dB/ Km.

14.3. Propagation of light ray in optical fiber

In order to study the propagation of light ray in optical in optical fibers, we must firstly study
the main types of optical fibers. There are two main types of optical fibers:
a- Step index optical fiber.
b- Graded index optical fiber.
These two types are characterised by the refractive index profiles that are shown in Figure
14.2

Figure 14.2 : Refractive index profiles for both : step index (left) and graded index(right)
fibers. In both cases, the cladding refractive index is while the maximum core
refractive index is .

14.4 The step index fiber

The path of the ray that passes through the centre of the guide in a step index fiber
undergoing a total reflection which is shown in Figure 14.3

Total internal reflection on the interface between two dielectric having different refractive
index (glass-air) refraction occurs (as shown in Figure 14.3). The ray approaching the
interface is propagating in a dielectric is propagating in a dielectric of refractive index ( ) is
at angle to the normal at the surface of the interface.
Dr. Hasanain A. Hasan – University of Misan / Department of Electrical Engineering
Communications Systems II, Fourth stage- Lec.14 2020-2021

𝒏𝟐 Cladding

𝒏𝟎 θ
90-θ
𝒏𝟏 Core
𝛼

Figure 14.3 : total internal reflection.

If the dielectric on the other side of the interface has a refractive index , and ,
then the refraction I such that the ray path in this lower index medium is at angle to the
normal , >
Sin = Sin

If : the refracted ray emerges parallel to the interface.

< 90
This is the limiting case of refraction and the angle of incidence is known as the
critical angle.

Then :

Then, going back to Figure 14.3 :

By applying Snell’s Law:

[at air-core interface]

When we have max value of , we will have minimum value for , which mean the
critical angle for ,
Dr. Hasanain A. Hasan – University of Misan / Department of Electrical Engineering
Communications Systems II, Fourth stage- Lec.14 2020-2021

: is called numerical aperture (NA).

: is known as the fiber acceptance angle.

2 : is known as the total acceptance angle.

We have also:
( )

and ̅

Note that for most optical fibers :

NA

14.5 The graded index fiber

In graded index fiber or multimode fiber, the ray paths through the guide are more
complicated. Three main ray paths can be distinguished, as shown in Figure 14.4:
a- The central ray.
b- Meridional rays.
c- Helical rays
The meridional rays and helical rays follow smooth curves rather the zigzags of step index
fibers.
A helical ray, although traversing a much longer path than the central ray but this happens
in a region when the refractive index is less and the velocity is greater.

a) Centeral ray

b) Meridonal ray

c) Helical ray

Figure 14.4: Main ray paths for graded index fibers.

Dr. Hasanain A. Hasan – University of Misan / Department of Electrical Engineering
Communications Systems II, Fourth stage- Lec.14 2020-2021

The variation in core refractive index is often expressed in the from:

( ) r< a

a: is the core radius.

is the axial refractive index.

: is a parameter that determine the core index variation.

Example 14.1 A silica optical fiber with a core refractive index of 1.5 and a cladding
refractive index of 1.47. Determine:
a. The critical angle at the core cladding interface.
b. The NA for the fiber.
c. The acceptance angle in air for the fiber.
Solution
a- The critical angle at the core-cladding interface is given by:

= = 78.5

b- The numerical aperture, NA = = = 0.3

c- The acceptance angle in air

=NA

Example 14.2 Consider that a mean optical fiber power launched into an 8 Km length of
fiber is 120 µw, the mean optical fiber power at the fiber output is 3 µw. Determine:
a- The overall signal attenuation or loss in decibels (dB) through the fiber.
b- The signal attenuation per Kilometre for the fiber.
Solution
a- = = 16 dB.

b-

Dr. Hasanain A. Hasan – University of Misan / Department of Electrical Engineering