Dispersion

A measure of information capacity of an optical fiber for digital transmission is usually specified by the bandwidth distance product in GHz.km. For multi-mode step index fiber this quantity is about 20 MHz.km, for graded index fiber is about 2.5 GHz.km & for single mode fibers are higher than 10 GHz.km.

Dispersion
Intramodal

Intermodal
It results from the prop. delay difference b/w modes within the multimode fiber.

It results from the finite spectral linewidth of the optical source. The prop. delay difference b/w the different spectral components of the tranmitted signal causes broadening of each transmitted pulse This phenomenon arises due to a finite bandwidth of the optical source, dependency of refractive index on the wavelength and the modal dependency of the group velocity.

A MMSIF exhibits alarge amount of intermodal dispersion which gives the greatest pulse broadening.

Material dispersion

Wave Velocities:
wave phase velocity: For a modal wave propagating along z-axis represented by exp( jt jz ) , the velocity of

constant phase plane is:

vp

For transmission system operation the most important & useful type of velocity V is the group velocity, V . This is the actual velocity which the signal information & energy is traveling down the fiber. It is always less than the speed of light in the medium.
g g

The observable delay experiences by the optical signal waveform & energy, when traveling a length of l along the fiber is commonly referred to as group delay.
The group velocity is given by:

d Vg d

Gp Velocity If prop. In a infinite medium of R.I. n1 is considered, then the prop. Cons. May be written as

= n1 (2/) = (n1)/c As we know vp = c/n1

Gp index of the guide vg = d/d = (d/d). (d/ d) = d/d (n1 (2/) -1 (-/) =[(-)/ (2/)][ 1/ ( dn1/d) (n1/ 2)]-1 = c/[ n1-dn1/d)= c/Ng c/Ng is known as Gp index of the guide

Dispersion
Intramodal

Intermodal
It results from the prop. delay difference b/w modes within the multimode fiber.

It results from the finite spectral linewidth of the optical source. The prop. delay difference b/w the different spectral components of the tranmitted signal causes broadening of each transmitted pulse This phenomenon arises due to a finite bandwidth of the optical source, dependency of refractive index on the wavelength and the modal dependency of the group velocity.

A MMSIF exhibits alarge amount of intermodal dispersion which gives the greatest pulse broadening.

Material Dispersion
Therefore pulse delay due to material dispersion in a fiber length L is given by m

L d m L ( L / c)[ n1 - dn1/d ] Vg d .......... ..........1) (

Material Dispersion
For a source with rms spectral width and mean wavelength , the rms pulse boardenning due to material dispersion, m may be obtained from the expansion of Equation (1) in the Taylors series

m = (dm/d) + 2(d2m/d2) +..

Material Dispersion
As only the 1st term only dominates Therefore We have m = (dm/d) (2) Hence pulse spread may be evaluated by considering the dependence on , Hence form Equation (1) We have (dm/d) = (L/c) [dn1/d- d2n1/d2-dn1/d] = (L/c) [ - d2n1/d2](3)

Therefore substituting the expression obtained in equation (3) into equa tion (2 ) We have m = (dm/d) = ( L/c) [ - d2n1/d2] = ( L/c) | d2n1/d2 |

Material Dispersion
How ever, It may be given in term of material dispersion parameter M which is defined as M = (1/L) [(L/c) [ - d2n1/d2] =(/c) [ - d2n1/d2] = (/c) | d2n1/d2 | The unit of material dispersion parameter is ps nm-1 Km-1

Numerical
A glass fiber exhibits Material disp. given by | 2d2n1/d2 | of 0.025. Determine the material dispersion parameter at a wavelength of 0.85 m,and estimate the rms pulse boardenning per KM for a good LED with rms spectral width of 20 nm at this wave length. Pulse broadenning: 1.96 ns/Km

Numerical
Estimate the rms pulse broadenning per KM for the fiber of the previous example when the optical source used as injection Laser with a relative spectral width / of 0.0012 at a wavelength of 0.85 m . Pulse broadenning: 0.1 ns/Km Reduction around a factor of 20.

Wave guide Disp.

The waveguide disp. Is also a kind of intramodal disp. The wave guiding of fiber is responsible for this . This results from the variation in Gp velocity with wavelength for a particular mode. It is equivalent to the angle b/w the ray and fiber axis varying with wavelength which subsequently leads to variation of transmission times resulting in Intramodal Dispersion.

Intermodal Disp.(MMSIF)

Using ray theory approach, the fastest and slowest modes propagating in SIF may be represented by the Axial ray and the extreme meridional ray respectively. The delay difference between these two rays when travelling in the fiber core allows estimation of the pulse broadening from resulting from intermodal dispersion within the fiber.

Intermodal Disp.(MMSIF)

As both the ray rays are travelling at the same velocity within the constant RI fiber core, then the delay difference is directly related to their respective path length within the fiber.

Intermodal Disp.(MMSIF)
T min = dist./Velocity= L/(c/n1) = L n1/c The Extreme meridional ray exhibits the max delay time Tmax where Tmax = (L/cos)/(c/n1) = Ln1/c cos Using snells laws of refraction at the core cladding interface we have Sin c= n2/n1 = cos

Intermodal Disp.(MMSIF)
By manipulating We have Tmax = Ln12/ cn2 Hence the delay diff. Ts b/w the extreme meridional ray and the axial ray may be obtained likewise Ts = Tmax - Tmin = Ln12/ cn2 - L n1/c =[ Ln12 ]/cn2 When << 1

Intermodal Disp.(MMSIF)
We know NA= n1 (2)1/2 Therefore Ts = [ L (NA)2]/2n1c

This equation are usually employed to estimate the max pulse broadening in time due intermodal dispersion in MMSIF

Rms Pulse Broadening resulting from dispersion mechanism ******

Rms Pulse Broadening resulting from

The rms pulse broadening at the fiber o/p due to intermodal dispersion in MMSIF may be given as

dispersion mechanism

******

s = [ L 3 n1c = L n1/2 3 c

2]/4 (NA)

Problem
A 6 Km optical link consist of MMSIF with core RI of 1.5 and relative RI difference of 1% Estimate:
(1) The delay difference b/w slowest mode and fastest mode (2) the rms pulse broadening due to intermodal disp. on the link (3) The max bit rate that may be obtained without substantial error on the link assuming only intermodal dispersion. (4) The BW-Length product corresponding to (3)

How to reduce the Intermodal disp.

(1) By propagation mechanism known as differential Attenuation within practical fibers . (2) Mode coupling or mixing . The between guided modes transfer optical power from slower to faster modes and vice varsa. (3) By the use of MMGIF.

Disp. in MMGIF

Disp. in MMGIF
The dramatic improvement in MMGIF, BW achieved with a parabolic RI is highlighted by consideration of the reduced delay difference between the fastest and slowest modes for this GIF Tg
Using ray theory approximation , Tg = (NA)2/8n13c = L n12/2 c

Disp. in MMGIF
The rms pulse broadening of a near parabolic index profile GIF is reduced compared to the similar broadening for the corresponding SIF with the same RI difference is

g= (/D) s
D is a constant between 4 and 10.

Disp. in MMGIF
The best minimum theoretical value of intermodal pulse broadening for a GIF with optimum characteristics RI profile is given

g = L n12/203 c

Numerical
Compare the rms pulse broadening per Km due to intermodal dispersion for the MMSIF with the corresponding rms pulse broandening for an optimum near profile GIF with same core RI f 1.5 and and relative RI difference of 1% over 6 Km link . Ans 14.4 ns/Km for SIF and 14.4 ps/Km for GIF

Overall fiber dispersion

It is the combination of both Intramodal and intermodal disp. And is given by

T =

2+ (m

2)1/2 n

Overall fiber dispersion

A MMSIF has a NA of 0.3 and core RI of 1.5. The material disp parameter for the fiber is 250 ps/nm/Km which makes material disp the totally dominating intramodal dispersion mechanism. Estimate (a) the total rms pulse broadenning /Km when the fiber is used with an LED source of rms spectral width 50 nm (b) the correspnding BW length product.

Dispersion On SMF
Three parameters are responsible for dispersion in SMF (1) Material Dispersion Dm (2) Waveguide dispersion Dw (3) profile dispersion Dp Where Dm = (/c) | d2n/d2 | Dw = [-(n1-n2)/c ] .V . [d2V/dV2] Dp = d/d Total Disp. DT =Dm + Dw +Dp

Disp can be made zero in the following manners

Lowering the normalized freq. no. ( V Number)for the for the fiber. Increasing the relative index diff. for the for the fiber Suitable doping of the silica with germenium.

Dispersion modified single mode Fiber

Dm = = (/c) | d2n1/d2 | Dw = [-(n1-n2)/c ] .V . [d2V/dV2]

Dp = d/d Total Disp. DT =Dm + Dw +Dp = (/c) | d2n1/d2 | + [-(n1-n2)/c ] .V . [d2V/dV2]

Optimum single mode fiber & distortion/attenuation characteristics Fact 1) Minimum distortion at wavelength about 1300 nm for single mode silica fiber. Fact 2) Minimum attenuation is at 1550 nm for sinlge mode silica fiber. Strategy: shifting the zero-dispersion to longer wavelength for minimum attenuation and dispersion by Modifying waveguide dispersion by changing from a simple stepindex core profile to more complicated profiles.

There are four major categories to do that: 1- 1300 nm optimized single mode step-fibers: matched cladding (mode diameter 9.6 micrometer) and depressed-cladding (mode diameter about 9 micrometer) 2- Dispersion shifted fibers.
3- Dispersion-flattened fibers.