Signal Dispersion in Fibers

BY JORGE ORDONEZ
Overview
Intramodal Dispersion
Intermodal Dispersion
Group Delay
PMD (Polarization-Mode Dispersion)
Types of Fibers
Zero-Dispersion
Dispersion

As an optical signal
travels along a fiber it
tends to weaken from
attenuation effects.
The same signal also
broadens as it travels
along and this is due
to the effects of
dispersion.
Intramodal Dispersion
Intramodal Dispersion is the pulse spreading that takes place
within a single mode.
This spreading arises from the finite spectral emission width of
an optical source
The two main causes of intramodal dispersion are Material and
Wavelength Dispersion.
Intramodal Dispersion Solution
Using a fiber that compensates for this dispersion
Some fibers are designed so that longer wavelengths
travel faster than shorter wavelengths.
Modal Delay
Mode delay or Intermodal Dispersion is only
apparent in multimode fibers.
Signal degradation occurs due to different values of
group delay for each individual mode at a single
frequency
If you imagine two rays of light entering a core at
different angles one will take a longer path than
the other causing the signal of the ray traveling a
longer path to broaden.
 Intermodal Dispersion Solution

GRADED INDEX FIBER

By using a Graded Index
Fiber we can eliminate a
large majority of
dispersion.
As the light travels away
from the center the light
speeds up.
Group Delay
Group velocity dispersion is the
phenomenon that the group
velocity of light in a transparent
medium depends on the optical
frequency or wavelength
Chromatic dispersion is an
example of this
Polarization mode dispersion
Polarization-mode dispersion arises from the fact that light-signal
energy at a given wavelength in a single-mode fiber (SMF) actually
occupies two modes.
Due to the non-uniformity of the fiber each mode will travel at
slightly different velocities, resulting in different propagation
times that will cause pulse spreading.
Types Fiber
Dispersion for single mode fibers can be accounted for using Dispersion
Compensating Fibers (DCF). Some of these are
DSF: Dispersion-shifted fibers which have a longer negative wavelength
which can shift the zero dispersion point to longer wavelengths, commonly
the zero-dispersion point is shifted to the wavelength of 1550nm.
NZDSF: Since DSF fibers are neg. for wavelengths less than 1550nm and pos.
for longer wavelengths, it causes an issue for closely spaced signals within
c-band due to non-linear effects of the fiber. The non zero dispersion-
shifted fiber was developed which have a small amount of either all positive
or all negative dispersion throughout c-band.
Dispersion for multi mode fibers can also be accounted for with DCF. One of
these is
Graded-index fiber: since you have the issue of multiple signals traveling
through a single fiber at the same speed but not the same frequency; by
using a fiber of this type you get a fiber that eliminate the dispersion
significantly. This fibers core has a refractive index that decreases with
increasing radial distance from the optical axis of the fiber.
ZERO-DISPERSION

Zero-dispersion can be achieved at 1310nm with Standard fiber,

single-mode, and multimode.

Zero-dispersion can also be achieved at 1550nm with a minimal

attenuation using DSF Fibers
 Example 3.7 SOLUTION:
Consider a 1 long
From Eq. 3.13
multimode step-index fiber in 12 1.4802 (0.01)
= =
which 1 = 1.480 and = 0.01, 2 (3 108 /)(1.465)
so that 2 = 1.465. = 50
What is the modal delay per
length of this fiber?
 Example 3.9 SOLUTION:
Consider following two (a) From Eq. 3.14a
1 1.458(0.01)
multimode fibers: = = = 14.0
2 3 2 33108
(a) a step-indexed fiber with (b) From Eq. 3.14b
core index 1 = 1.458 and 1 2 1.458 (0.01)2
core-cladding index = = = 14.0
20 3 20 33108
difference = 0.01
(b) A parabolic-profile graded-
index fiber with same values
of 1 and .
Compare the rms pulse
broadening per kilometer for
these two fibers.
SOURCES
http://eresources.gitam.edu/Engg_Phys/semester_1/lasers/fibre_optic
s.htm
https://www.rp-photonics.com/group_velocity_dispersion.html
G. Keiser, "Optical Fiber Communications", 4th Ed, McGraw Hill, 2011.
G. Keiser, "Optical Fiber Communications", 2nd Ed, McGraw Hill, 1991.
J. Senior, Optical Fiber Communications Principles and Practice, 3rd Ed,
Prentice Hall, 2009.
G. Agrawal, Fiber-Optic Communication Systems, 3rd Ed, Wiley-
Interscience, 2002.
THANK YOU

Questions?