MODULE II

OPTICAL TRANSMITTER
&
OPTICAL RECEIVER
Introduction
• coherent -When two waves travel in the
same direction with a constant phase
relationship, they are said to be coherent .
• In coherent-
• Radiative transition-energy in the form of
light
• Non Radiative transition-energy in the
form of heat
• The lowest possible energy level is known as the
ground state
• higher energy levels are called the excited
states
• continuous spread of energy is called the
continuum  
• There are three ways in which an incident
radiation can interact with the energy levels of
atoms
1. Absorption:
2. Spontaneous Emission
3. Stimulated Emission
1. Absorption
• the energy levels E 1 and E2 correspond to
the ground state and the excited state of
atoms of the absorbing medium.
• If the photon energy hν of the incident light of
frequency ν is about the same as the energy
difference Eg = E2−E1, the photon is
absorbed by the atom, which ends up in
the excited state.
 Spontaneous Emission
• photons are emitted in random directions with
no phase relationship among them
 Stimulated Emission

• Stimulated emission, by contrast, is

initiated by an existing photon
 Absorption Rates

• If N1 and N2 are the atomic densities in

the ground and the excited states,
respectively, and ρph(ν) is the spectral
density of the electromagnetic energy,

• where A, B, and B’ are constants.

• In thermal equilibrium, the atomic densities are
distributed according to the Boltzmann statistics
• N2/N1 = exp(−Eg/kBT) ≡ exp(−hν/kBT),
kB is the Boltzmann constant and
T is the absolute temperature.

POPULATION INVERSION
• To achieve optical amplication it is necessary to
create a nonequilibrium distribution of atoms
ie N2>N1
 POPULATION INVERSION

• Equilibrium • Nonequilibrium
• N1>N2 • N2>N1
 OPTICAL AMPLIFIER
• Amplification & coherence achieved by
Fabry-parot resonator
 Optical sources
1.LED
2.LASER DIODE
LED
• Large wavelength content
• Incoherent
• Limited directionality
• Preferable for short distance
• Inexpensive, robust &long life
• Can be modulated at high freq
Laser diode
• Smaller wavelength content
• Highly coherent
• high directional

• LED ADVANTAGES
• Simple fabrication
• Reduced cost
• Reliability
• Less temperature dependance
• Simple drive circuit
• linearity
Drawbacks
• Lower optical power coupled into a fiber (μw)
• Lower modulation BW
• Harmonic distortion
LED made from

• gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP)

• gallium arsenide (GaAs)

LED internal quantum efficiency

Pure-crystal energy-band diagram
n-type material
p-type material
Reverse bias condition
Forward bias condition
 Double-heterostructure configuration

• light output in LEDs is increased is to use

heterojunction rather than homojunction.

• A heterojunction is a junction of two

materials of different band gaps.
 LED Types
1.Planner LED
2.Dome LED
3.Surfae emitted LED
4.Edge emitter LED
5.Super Luminance LED
Surface-emitting LED
surface-emitting LED
Edge-emitting LED
Super luminance LED
• LEDs produce incoherent light

• laser diodes produce coherent light.

• LED is a forward-biased p-n junction, emitting light

through spontaneous emission, a phenomenon referred
to as electroluminescence.
• The emitted light is incoherent with a relatively wide
spectral width of 30-60 nm.
• Communications LEDs are most commonly made from
gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) or gallium arsenide
(GaAs)
• Because GaAsP LEDs operate at a longer wavelength
than GaAs LEDs (1.3 micrometers vs. 0.81-0.87
micrometers), their output spectrum is wider by a factor
of about 1.7.
• A semiconductor laser emits light through
stimulated emission rather than
spontaneous emission, which results in
high output power (~100 mW) as well as
other benefits related to the nature of
coherent light
• LEDs produce incoherent light

• laser diodes produce coherent light.

• LED is a forward-biased p-n junction, emitting light

through spontaneous emission, a phenomenon referred
to as electroluminescence.
• The emitted light is incoherent with a relatively wide
spectral width of 30-60 nm.
• Communications LEDs are most commonly made from
gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) or gallium arsenide
(GaAs)
• Because GaAsP LEDs operate at a longer wavelength
than GaAs LEDs (1.3 micrometers vs. 0.81-0.87
micrometers), their output spectrum is wider by a factor
of about 1.7.
• A semiconductor laser emits light through
stimulated emission rather than
spontaneous emission, which results in
high output power (~100 mW) as well as
other benefits related to the nature of
coherent light