SCATTERING LOSSES IN

FIBER
TYPES OF LINEAR
SCATTERING LOSSES
Linear Scattering Losses
Rayleigh Scattering losses
MIE Scattering losses
 Linear Scattering Losses

The propagation of light through the core of an

optical fiber is based on total internal reflection
of the lightwave. Rough and irregular surfaces,
even at the molecular level, can cause light rays
to be reflected in random directions. This is
called diffuse reflection or scattering, and it is
typically characterized by wide variety of
reflection angles.
Linear Scattering
Light Scattering typically characterized by wide variety of
reflection angles.

Light scattering depends on the wavelength of the light being

scattered.

Basically, scattering losses are caused by the interaction of light

with density fluctuations within a fiber. Density changes are
produced when optical fibers are manufactured.
 The scattering of light in optical quality glass fiber is caused by
molecular level irregularities (compositional fluctuations) in the
glass structure.

There are tow types of scattering Losses.

(1) Rayleigh scattering Losses.
(2) MIE scattering Losses.
 Rayleigh Scattering
Atoms and other particles inevitably scatter some
of the light that hits them. The light isn't absorbed,
just sent in another direction in a process called
Rayleigh scattering, after the British physicist
Lord Rayleigh, as shown in Figure.
Rayleigh scattering of light.
However, the distinction between scattering and absorption doesn't matter
much if you are trying to send light through a fiber, because the light is lost
from the fiber in either case.

Scattering depends not on the specific type of material but on the size of the
particles relative to the wavelength of light.
The closer the wavelength is to the particle size, the more scattering. In fact,
the amount of scattering increases quite rapidly as the
wavelength decreases. For a transparent solid, the scattering loss in decibels
per kilometer is given by

where A is a constant depending on the material.

Rayleigh scattering of sunlight in the atmosphere causes diffuse
sky radiation, which is the reason for the blue color of the sky
and the yellow tone of the sun itself.

Scattering by particles similar to or larger than the wavelength of

light is typically treated by the Mie theory or the discrete
dipole approximation.
 MIE Scattering
v If the size of the defect is greater than one-tenth of the
wavelength of light, the scattering mechanism is called MIE
Scattering.
Mie scattering ,caused by these large defects in the fiber core,
scatters light out of the fiber core.
The irregularities in the core, cladding interface,
their refractive index difference along the fiber
length, diameter fluctuation.
There all are irregularities produced these mie
scattering.
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