INTERMODAL DISPERSION

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Dr. Krishna Gopal Sharma Akash Tyagi
CO18527
 INTERMODAL DISPERSION

• When an optical pulse is launched into a fiber, the optical power in the pulse is
distributed over all of the modes of the fiber.
• Each of the modes that can propagate in a multimode fiber travels at a slightly
different velocity.
• This means that the modes in a given optical pulse arrive at the fiber end at slightly
different times, thus causing the pulse to spread out in time as it travels along the
fiber. 
• This effect is known as intermodal dispersion.
 INTERMODAL DISPERSION •

• It can be reduced by using a graded-index profile in the fiber core.

• This allows graded-index fibers to have much larger band-widths (data rate
transmission capabilities) than step-index fibers.
• Even higher bandwidths are possible in single-mode fibers, where intermodal
dispersion effects are not present.
 SINGLE – MODE STEP-INDEX FIBRE
• A single mode or monomodal step index fiber allows the propagation of only one traverse
electromagnetic mode and hence the core diameter must be of the order of 2 µm to 10µm.
• It has high information carrying capacity.
• The single mode step index fiber has the distinct advantage of low intermodal dispersion, as only
one mode is transmitted.
• It can be used for long distance communication
• It requires highly directional source such as LASER diode because of small core diameter, hence
the cost is higher than multimode step index fiber.
 SINGLE – MODE STEP-INDEX FIBRE

 Advantages
• There is a minimum dispersion because all rays propagating down the fiber take
approximately the same path; they take approximately the same amount of time to
travel down the cable.
• Consequently, a pulse of light entering the cable can be reproduced at the receiving
end very accurately.
 SINGLE – MODE STEP-INDEX FIBRE

Advantages
• Because of the high accuracy in reproducing transmitted pulses at the receive end,
larger bandwidths and higher information transmission rates are possible with
single-mode step-index fibers than with the other types of fibers.
 SINGLE – MODE STEP-INDEX FIBRE

Disadvantages
• Because the central core is very small, it is difficult to couple light into and out of
this type of fiber. The source-to-fiber aperture is the smallest of all the fiber types.
• Again, because of the small central core, a highly directive light source such as a
laser is required to couple light into a single-mode step-index fiber.
• Single-mode step-index fibers are expensive and difficult to manufacture.
 MULTIMODE STEP-INDEX FIBRE

• Multimode step index fiber with a core diameter of around 50 µm or greater allows the
propagation of a finite number of guided modes along the channel.
• The total number of guided modes Ms for a step index fiber is given by: Ms = V2 /2
Where, V denotes the V-number which is a normalized frequency parameter.
• In multimode step index fiber dispersion is high due to the differing group velocities of the
propagating modes.
 MULTIMODE STEP-INDEX FIBRE

• Due to high dispersion the information carrying capacity is less.

• It cannot be used for long distance communication as dispersion is a function of length.
• Simple to fabricate than single mode fiber and LED can be used as light source.
 MULTIMODE STEP-INDEX FIBRE

Advantages 
• Multimode step-index fibers are inexpensive and simple to manufacture.
• It is easy to couple light into and out of multimode step-index fibers; they have a
relatively large source-to-fiber aperture.
 MULTIMODE STEP-INDEX FIBRE

Disadvantages
• Light rays take many different paths down the fiber, which results in large
differences in their propagation times. Because of this, rays traveling down this type
of fiber have a tendency to spread out. 
• Consequently, a pulse of light propagating down a multimode- step-index fiber is
distorted more than with the other types of fibers.
•  The bandwidth and rate of information transfer possible with this type of cable are
less than the other types.
 MULTIMODE GRADED-INDEX FIBRE 
• There are no advantages or disadvantages of this fire.
• Multimode graded-index fibers are easier to couple light into and out of than single-
mode step-index fibers but more difficult than multimode step-index fibers.
• Distortion due to multiple propagation paths is greater than in single-mode step-
index fibers but less than in multimode step-index fibers.
• Graded-index fibers are easier to manufacture than single-mode step-index fibers
but more difficult than multimode step-index fibers
•  The multimode graded-index fiber is considered an intermediate fiber compared to
the other types.
THANK YOU..