9

UNIT II TRANSMISSION CHARACTERISTIC OF OPTICAL FIBER

Attenuation-absorption --scattering losses-bending losses-core and

cladding losses-signal dispersion –inter symbol interference and
bandwidth-intra model dispersion-material dispersion- waveguide
dispersion-polarization mode dispersion-intermodal dispersion-
dispersion optimization of single mode fiber-characteristics of single
mode fiber-R-I Profile- cutoff wave length-dispersion calculation-
mode field diameter.
 Unit – 2
losses in optical fiber
• When light propagates through an optical fiber, a small
percentage of light is lost through different mechanisms.

• The loss of optical power is measured in terms of decibels per km

for attenuation losses.

• The cause of fiber optic loss located on two aspects:

internal reasons and external causes of fiber optic

• intrinsic fiber core attenuation and extrinsic fiber attenuation

Intrinsic Fiber Core Attenuation

• optic loss caused by the fiber optic

• two main causes of intrinsic attenuation.

• light absorption and scattering.

• light absorption – the light is absorbed in the fiber by the materials or

imperfections of the atomic structure.

• Absorb selective wavelength

• Scattering – molecular level irregularities-light energy scatter in all direction

• Can be reduced imperfections of optic core should be removed

Extrinsic Fiber Attenuation

• Improper handling

• Bending loss & splicing loss

• Radiative loss:

• a. Macroscopic bends b. Microscopic bends

• Macrobend- total internal reflection

• Microbend – non-uniformities & micro bend

• Loss of light by leakage.

Fiber optic splicing

• Inevitable to connect one cable to another

• Reduced by proper handling

• Fusion splicing

To reduce attenuation,
• select proper fiber optic & components
• Proper handling & Skills should be applied
Dispersion & Distortion

When an optical signal is sent – the pulse spreads or broaden

The pulse broadening or dispersion will occur in three ways, viz.,

1. Inter-modal dispersion

• when more than 1 mode is propagating through the fiber –dispersion occurs

• Different wavelength and time

• pulse is dispersed when a ray of light is launched

• At the end, the results is elongation of data.

2. Material dispersion or chromatic dispersion

• Due to different wavelength travelling at different speed

• Can be minimized at 850nm, 1300nm & 1550nm

• Zero dispersion wavelength

3. Waveguide dispersion
• due to guiding property
1. What is the typical value of refractive index for an ethyl alcohol?
a. 1
b. 1.36
c. 2.6
d. 3.4
2.Which among the following represent/s the measure/s to minimize the inhomogenities for Mie scattering
reduction?
a. Extrusion Control
b. Increase in relative R.I. difference
c. Removal of imperfections due to glass manufacturing process
d. All of the above
• In an optical fiber, the concept of Numerical aperture is applicable in describing the ability of __________
• a. Light Collection
b. Light Scattering
c. Light Dispersion
d. Light Polarization
• 4.For a sine wave, the frequency is represented by the cycles per ______
a. Second
b. Minute
c. Hour
d. None of the above
• attenuation
• P(Z)=P(0)-ideal fiber
• P(Z)<P(0)-practical fiber
• Attenuation in optical fibers
• Single mode fiber exhibit a attenuation of
• 0.5 dB/KM at 1300 nm
• 0.3 dB/KM at 1550 nm
• Absorption loss
intrinsic absorption and extrinsic absorption
intrinsic absorption
• Atomic absorption
Associated with the characteristics vibrational frequency of the chemical bond.
The loss dominant in the IR region
• extrinsic absorption
• Absorption is caused by external elements.
• Optical signal absorbed in fibers by impurities present in the material
• Impurities come from raw materials
• Defect Loss
• Imperfections in the atomic structure
• Low in good quality fibers
• Scattering loss

• Linear scattering loss

 Rayleigh scattering & Mie scattering
• Non-linear scattering loss
 Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS)& Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS)
Rayleigh scattering
• Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS)

• Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS)

• Bending loss:
• Microscopic bending: have small radii of curvatures comparable to fiber
diameter.
• Due to irregularities.
• Act as a facilitator.
• loss= 1-2 dB/km
• Macroscopic bending:have radii of curvatures much longer than the core
diameter.
• Cause power loss.
• Due to spooling of fiber & uniform bent
Core-cladding loss
• Signal distortions in optical waveguides:

• Intramodal dispersion and chromatic dispersion

• Is a pulse spreading that occurs with in a single mode

•Group velocity dispersion

•Spectral width of LED and LASER source

•Two main causes of Intramodal dispersion

•Material Dispersion-variations of refractive index

•Waveguide Dispersion-depends on the fiber design

Information capacity determination
Material dispersion:
• It is the pulse spreading due to the dispersive properties of material.
• It arises from variation of refractive index of the core material as a function of
wavelength.
• Material dispersion is a property of glass as a material
Waveguide dispersion:
• It occurs because a single mode fiber confines only about 80% of the optical
power to the core.
• The amount of waveguide dispersion depends on the structure of the fiber.
Intermodal dispersion:
• Dispersion caused by multipath propagation of light energy is referred to as
intermodal dispersion.
• Signal degradation occurs due to different values of group delay for each
individual mode at a single frequency.
• Material dispersion:
• Waveguide dispersion:
• Birefringence
• Birefringence is the phenomenon exhibited by certain materials in which an
incident ray of light is split into two rays, called an ordinary ray and an
extraordinary ray, which are plane-(linear) polarized in mutually orthogonal
planes, or circular-polarized in opposite directions (left and right).
Polarization – mode dispersion:
Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) is a form of modal dispersion where two
different polarizations of light in a waveguide, which normally travel at the same
speed, travel at different speeds due to random imperfections and asymmetries,
causing random spreading of optical pulses.
Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD) is a broadening of the input pulse due to a
phase delay between input polarization states.
• Single-mode optical fiber and components support one fundamental mode
• which consists of two orthogonal polarization modes.
• the core of an optical fiber is perfectly circular, and therefore has the same (n)
index of refraction for both polarization states.
• However, mechanical and thermal stresses introduced during manufacturing
result in asymmetries in the fiber core geometry.
• This asymmetry introduces small index of refraction differences for the two
polarization states, a property called birefringence.
• Birefringence causes one polarization mode to travel faster than the other,
resulting in a difference in the propagation time called the differential group
delay (DGD).
• DGD is the unit that is used to describe PMD
• DGD is typically measured in picoseconds.
•=

• =D PMD
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4-wCa_VNfA
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKCHYUxXYXo
Intermodal dispersion:
• Dispersion caused by multipath propagation of light energy

• Signal degradation occurs due to different values of group delay for each
individual mode at a single frequency.

• Thus multimode step index fibers exhibit a large amount of intermodal

dispersion which gives the greatest pulse broadening.

• Present multimode SI and GI fibers

• Intermodal dispersion limits the fiber bandwidth.

Multimode graded-index fiber
For modern MM GI fibers B*L product is up to 10 GHz*km.
Design Optimization of single mode fibers:
Features of single mode fibers are :
• Longer life.
• Low attenuation.
• Signal transfer quality is good.
• Modal noise is absent.
• Largest BW-distance product. 
Basic design – optimization includes the following :
• Cut-off wavelength.
• Dispersion.
• Mode field diameter.
• Bending loss.
• Refractive index profile.
• Refractive index profile
• Dispersion limits long distance and very high-speed Tx.

• Dispersion is low at 1300nm.

• Attenuation is minimum at 1550 nm

• Parameters are adjusted.

• Cut-off wavelength
• Important transmission parameter.
• Dispersion calculations
• Which among the following is/are responsible for generating attenuation
of an optical power in fiber?

a. Absorption
b. Scattering
c. Waveguide effect
d. All of the above
• In waveguide dispersion, refractive index is independent of
a) Bit rate
b) Index difference
c) Velocity of medium
d) Wavelength
• Chromatic dispersion is also called as intermodal dispersion. State true or false
a) True
b) False
• What is dispersion in optical fiber communication?
a) Compression of light pulses
b) Broadening of transmitted light pulses along the channel
c) Overlapping of light pulses on compression
d) Absorption of light pulses
• 3dB optical bandwidth is always ___________ the 3dB electrical bandwidth.
a) Smaller than
b) Larger than
c) Negligible than
d) Equal to
• What does ISI stands for in optical fiber communication?
a) Invisible size interference
b) Infrared size interference
c) Inter-symbol interference
d) Inter-shape interference
• For no overlapping of light pulses down on an optical fiber link, the digital bit
rate BT must be:
a) Less than the reciprocal of broadened pulse duration
b) More than the reciprocal of broadened pulse duration
c) Same as that of than the reciprocal of broadened pulse duration
d) Negligible
• 1. Which of the following statements best explain the concept of material
absorption?
a) A loss mechanism related to the material composition and fabrication of fiber.
b) A transmission loss for optical fibers.
c) Results in attenuation of transmitted light.
d) Causes of transfer of optical power
• 2. How many mechanisms are there which causes absorption?
a) One
b) Three
c) Two
d) Four
• 3. Absorption losses due to atomic defects mainly include-
a) Radiation
b) Missing molecules, oxygen defects in glass
c) Impurities in fiber material
d) Interaction with other components of core
• Rayleigh scattering and Mie scattering are the types of
a) Linear scattering losses
b) Non-linear scattering losses
c) Fiber bends losses
d) Splicing losses
• 4. The effects of intrinsic absorption can be minimized by-
a) Ionization
b) Radiation
c) Suitable choice of core and cladding components
d) Melting
• 5. Which of the following is not a metallic impurity found in glass in extrinsic
absorption?
a) Fe2+
b) Fe3+
c) Cu
d) Si
• 6. Optical fibers suffer radiation losses at bends or curves on their paths.
State true or false
a) True
b) False
• Attenuation :