OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION |1

Question: Define optical fiber and attenuation.

Answer:

Optical Fiber: Optical fiber is a thin glass fiber through which light can be
transmitted. Optical fibers are used most often as a mean to transmit light
between the two ends of the fiber and find wide usage in fiber optic
communication.

Figure shows the core of refractive index n1 surrounded by the cladding of

slightly lower refractive index n2.

Attenuation: Attenuation of optical fiber is usually expressed in the logarithmic

unit of the decibel.

Number of decibels, (db) = 10

Question: Draw and explain the block diagram of optical fiber

communication system.

Answer:

Figure: Block diagram of optical fiber communication system

The information source provides an electrical signal to a transmitter. The

electrical signal from the transmitter is to drive the optical source. The optical
source gives the modulation of the light wave carrier. The optical source which
provides the electrical optical conversion either a semiconductor LEASER or
Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)
Communication Theory (EEE 601)
 OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION |2

light emitting diode (LED). The transmission medium consists of an optical

fiber cable which gets the optical light source from the optical source. The
output of the optical fiber is fed into a capital detector to remove the original
information signal. Finally information of electrical signal is received by
electrical receiver.

Here photo transistor and photo conductor are utilized for the detection of the
optical signal and the optical electrical conversion.

Question: Write down the advantages of optical fiber communication.

Answer: The advantages of optical fiber communication are given below::

1. Enormous potential bandwidth (1013 to 1016).

2. Small size and weight.
3. Electrical isolation.
4. Immunity to interference and cross talk.
5. Signal security high.
6. Low transmission loss.
7. Ruggedness and flexibility.
8. System reliability and ease of maintenance.
9. Potential low cost.

Question: What is dispersion? Classify it.

Answer:

Dispersion: Spreading of pulse during propagation in an optical fiber is called

dispersion.

When the light beam emerges from a light source into the fiber, it breaks down
into a set of modes inside the fiber. As a result the width of the light pulse is to
be increased. This effect is called light dispersion i.e. the input pulse width is
increased in the output side and this phenomenon is called the dispersion.

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Communication Theory (EEE 601)
 OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION |3

Classification:

Dispersion can be classified into two types:

1. Modal dispersion
2. Chromatic dispersion

Question: Discuss one types of Ray theory transmission./Discuss total

internal reflection.

Answer:

Total internal reflection:

Let us consider the propagation of light within an optical fiber utilizing the ray
theory model. When a ray is incident on the interface between two dielectric
medium of different refractive index, then refraction occurs. If the refractive
index n1>n2, then angle of refraction is also greater than the angle of incident
(Φ2>Φ1).

Figure (a): Light rays incident on high to low refractive index interfere (glass-air)
reflection

Figure (b): Refraction showing the critical Figure (c): Total internal reflection
ray at an angle Φc. where Φ>Φc.

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Communication Theory (EEE 601)
 OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION |4

Now, according to the Snell’s law of reflection,

n1sinΦ1 = n2sinΦ2

⇒ ---------------- (i)

In figure (b), we see that the angle of refraction is 90° and the refraction ray
emerges parallel to the interface between the di-electrics, the angle of incident
must be less than 90° and the angle of incident is known as the critical angle Φc.

∴ sinΦc =

⇒ Φc = ) ----------------- (ii)

At angles of incidence greater than the critical angle the light is reflected back
into the originating di-electric medium with high efficiency (around 99.9%).

Condition of total internal reflection:

Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection

i.e. Φ1 = Φ [from figure (c)]

Question: What is acceptance angle? Write down its characteristics.

Answer:

Acceptance angle: The maximum angle to the axis at which light may enter the
fiber core in order to be propagated is often referred to as acceptance angle of
the fiber, θa.

Characteristics:

1. Any rays which incident into the fiber core at an angle greater than
acceptance angle θa or core cladding interface with an angle θc and light
will be refracted and eventually lost by radiation.
2. Any rays that is incident with an angle θa at the air core interface will
incident at an angle >θc then the total internal reflection occurred.

Question: Explain numerical aperture.

Answer:

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Communication Theory (EEE 601)
 OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION |5

Numerical aperture:

Figure: The ray path for an optical fiber in air at an input angle less than the
acceptance angle

The relation between the acceptance angle and the refractive indices of the three
media (core, cladding and air) is called the numerical aperture.

Figure shows that a light ray incident on the fiber core at an angle θ 1 to the fiber
axis which is less than the acceptance angle for the fiber θa.

Considering the refraction at the air core interface and using Snell’s law,

nosinθ1 = n1sinθ2 ---------------- (i)

Considering the right angle triangle ABC, we get,

θ2 = --------------- (ii)

hence, from equation (i),

nosinθ1 = n1sin ( ) [∵ θ2 = ]

⇒ nosinθ1 = n1cosΦ

⇒ nosinθ1 = n1 √ --------------- (iii)

Now, for the total internal reflection, incidence angle is equal to the acceptance
angle and Φ becomes Φc

i.e. θ1 = θa and Φ = Φc

Now, from equation (iii) we get,

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)
Communication Theory (EEE 601)
 OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION |6

nosinθa = n1 √

⇒ nosinθa = n1 √ ( ) [∵ sinΦc = ]

⇒ nosinθa = n1 √

⇒ nosinθa = n1 √

√
⇒ nosinθa = n1

⇒ nosinθa = √

⇒ N.A. =√ [∵ Numerical aperture = N.A. = nosinθa]

So, the numerical aperture N.A. = √

Relative refractive index:

∆ =

N.A. = √

=√ ) )

=√ )

=√ ) [Assume, n1 n2]

=√

=√

= √

So, Numerical aperture, N.A. = √

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Communication Theory (EEE 601)
 OPTICAL FIBER COMMUNICATION |7

Question: What is refractive index?

Answer:

Refractive index: The refractive index of a medium is defined as the ratio of

the velocity of a light in a vacuum to the velocity of light in the medium.

Prepared By: Hasan Bin Firoz (533)

Communication Theory (EEE 601)