Electromagnetic

Waves

E  E 0 sin(t  kz )
Propagation
constant/factor Wavelength

 n 
k k k0  k  k0 n
v c c
Phase velocity
Propagation factor k

v

f

w 2f 2f 2
k   
v v f 
 Wavelength in a
medium
v v0
 0 
f f c
v
 v 1 n
 
0 v0 n v0  c
0

n
Wavelength in a medium is shorter than that in free
space.
Power of optic
beam
Attenuation
Co-efficient

E  E0 e  z sin(t  kz )
Power is proportional to square of intensity or E
2L
Therefore power diminishes as e
Attenuation
P1 P2=P1e-2L

dB  10 log10 e  2L

Power change in db/km is
db/km = – 8.685
 Spectral width
Range of wavelength : spectral width or line width
Monochromatic : Zero line width or perfectly coherent

f  Spectral width in
 wavelength

f  Central
wavelength

Neodymium yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser

Helium Neon laser
Spectrum of LED

Spectrum : Frequency
content of a signal

Fractional
bandwidth
 835  805 30
   3.7%
 820 820
How source’s spectral width limits the
information capacity of a fiber system
 Dispersion
Variation of velocity with wavelength is dispersion

c
v
n n is different for
different wavelength

•Material dispersion : property of material

•Wave guide dispersion : due to structure
Pulse spreading

FDHM : full
duration half
maximum
 Reduction of distortion

Distortion can be reduced by

using more coherent emitters.

A filter can be used, however it

has two drawbacks
 Effective narrow pass band filter is difficult to construct
 Narrow filter greatly reduces power content of signal
Travel time
Pulse spread per
unit length

Nondispersive medium Dispersive medium

 Material dispersion M

1 is time required for wavelength 1

2 is time required for wavelength 2

 
  L 
L
 
After analysis, we get     M
L
Where M is called material dispersion,
which is proportional to n//
Refractive index  =1.3m
of SiO2 glass
Material dispersion M

(/L) = – M 
 Solitons

A soliton is a pulse that travels along a

fiber without changing shape.
 Information rate

Waveform of Optical power at receiving end

The acceptable delay between the fastest and

slowest wavelength is 
 3dB bandwidth

The bandwidth at which the signal power

diminishes to half, i,e, 50%

dB = 10 log10(0.5) = - 3

3db optic bandwidth is given by,

1
f 3dB 
2
 1.5dB bandwidth

The bandwidth at which the electrical power

diminishes to half, i,e, 50%

f1.5 dB optic  f 3dB electrical

Frequency length limit is
0.35
f 3dB electical L 
  / L 
Analog to digital signal
NRZ and RZ digital signal
 Pulse spread in RZ signal
RZ : return to zero digital signal signal

0.35
R RZ  L  f 3dB electrical 
( / L)
Assuming allowable pulse spread is 70% of the pulse duration
 Pulse spread in NRZ signal
NRZ : Non-return to zero digital signal

0.70
R NRZ L 
 ( / L)
Information Capacity Examples
 Polarization
x
E1

E3

E2
y
A wave is unpolarized if its electric field
vector varies randomly in direction.
Resonant Cavities
Standing wave pattern m 2L
L 
2 m
mc
f 
2nL
c
f c 
2nL
 c f c c
 f 
0 f 0
20
 c  f c
c
 Laser diode output power

Longitudinal
mode

 c  0.311nm
 Reflection at a plane boundary

n1  n 2
Reflection co-efficient,  
I
n1  n2 T
R
2
 n1  n2  n1 n2
Reflectance, R   
 n1  n2  Boundary
 p and s Polarization
Plane of incidence : Plane containing two lines,
(i) The line of incidence (ii) the normal to the
boundary at the point of incidence

(s)
 p and s Polarization R 
Fresnel’s laws
2

Reflection co-efficient for Parallel polarization

p 
 n cos i  n1
2
2 n 2
2  n sin  i
2
1
2

n cos i  n1
2
2 n 2
2  n sin  i
2
1
2

Reflection co-efficient for Perpendicular polarization

s 
n cos i  n1
2
2 n 2
2  n sin  i
2
1
2

n cos i  n1
2
2 n 2
2  n sin 2
1
2
  i
Air-to-glass interface reflection
R 
2

RS

RP

B
Glass-to-air interface reflection

RS
RP

B
 Brewster angle window
Brewster angle : at which reflection is zero
n2
tan  B 
n1
 Antireflection coating

n1 n3
n2

Coating thickness is one

quarter of the wavelength

R
 nn
1 3 n 2 
2 2
n2  n1 n3
n n 
If
2 2
1 3  n2
Then R=0
Critical Angle reflection
Critical Angles

n2
sin  c 
n1