1.

Propagating Modes in an optical

fiber
2. V number
3. Intermodal Dispersion
4. Attenuation
5. Types of attenuation




It is reasonable to expect that the larger the core
diameter, the more light the core can accommodate
and so there will be more number of modes. It is
also reasonable to think that smaller the
wavelength, larger the no. of modes fiber can
accommodate.
How many modes an optical fiber can carry
depends on optical and geometric characteristic of
a fiber. It is determined by V parameter.

8
/
3
0
/
2
0
1
2

3
Consider such five rays propagating at different angles
less than
c
.

These rays are called modes of
propagation. Since
c
depends upon n
1
and n
2
, the
number of modes also depend upon these indices.
The total number of modes increases as the RI
difference increases. Higher modes are having angles
2
2
2
1
n n
d
V =

t
A = = 2

t dn
NA
d
V
Operating wavelength
The number of modes in an optical fiber is determined by
V parameter (or normalized frequency parameter) which
is defines as:
close to the propagation angle and lower modes are
having angles much less than
c .
The higher

order
modes are to traverse a larger path length and hence
lag behind the lower order modes and produce distortion
called intermodal distortion.
For a graded index fiber the formula is written as
4
2
V
N =
Problem: Calculate the number of modes for a graded-index
fiber if its core diameter d = 62.5, its numerical aperture NA
= 0.275 and its operating wavelength = 1300 nm.
Solution:

tdNA
V =
4
2
V
N =
For a large V (>10), the number of modes for a step index
fiber is given as
2
2
V
N =
5 . 41
10 1300
275 . 0 10 5 . 62 14 . 3
9
6
=

5625 . 430
4
5 . 41
2
= =
. 431 = N
INTERMODAL DISPERSION
Pulse widening caused by the mode structure of a light beam
inside an optical fiber is known as modal or inter-modal
dispersion.
1
2
cos
n
n
C
= o
v
L
v
L
t t t
C
C SI
= = A
o cos
0
v
L
t =
0
Time taken by 0
th
order mode to reach receiver end would be
Time taken by c
th
order mode to reach receiver end would be
C
C
v
L
t
o cos
=
Since
Therefore
|
|
.
|

\
|

= = A
2
2 1
2
1
n
n n
v
L
v
L
vn
Ln
t
SI
L
A
B
C
D
C
o
) n n (assuming
1 2
n = ~
A = A
c
Ln
t
SI
1
also,
( )
2
2
2
NA
cn
L
t
SI
= A
|
|
.
|

\
|

= A
2
2 1 1
n
n n
c
Ln
t
SI
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
+
= A
) (
) )( (
2 1 2
2 1 2 1 1
n n n
n n n n
c
Ln
t
SI
2 2 1
n since n n = ~
At measures intermodal dispersion.
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

=
) (
) (
2 1 2
2
2
2
1 1
n n n
n n
c
Ln
|
|
.
|

\
|

= A
2
2
2
2
2
1 2
2n
n n
c
Ln
t
SI
GRADED INDEX FIBER
Formula for pulse spreading (At) for graded index fiber is
given by
c
LN
t
GI
8
2
1
A
= A
GI stands for Graded index and N
1
is the core refractive
index. Inter-modal dispersion in GI fiber may also be given by
4
3
1
) (
32
NA
cn
L
t
GI
= A
) used is n (
1 1
N ~
8
/
3
0
/
2
0
1
2

11
Problem: A graded index fiber has N
1
= 1.487 and A =
1.71%. For a link 5 Km in length, compute pulse spreading
due to modal dispersion and determine the maximum bit
rate.
ns
s km
km
c
LN
t
GI
9 . 0
/ 10 3 8
0171 . 0 487 . 1 5
8
5
2 2
1
=


=
A
= A
Solution:
km ns t
GI
/ 18 . 0 = A
SINGLE MODE FIBER
Model dispersion problem can be solved by restricting the
number of modes i.e. by using single mode fibers. For a
single mode fiber the condition is given as
405 . 2 s V
However, single mode
fiber is the costliest
one and also it is very
difficult to maintain an
accurate core size.
The core size of
single mode fiber
varies from 4 t0 11
micrometer.
SINGLE MODE FIBER CUTOFF WAVELENGTH
For a given fiber (n
1
, n
2
, a), there is a wavelength

c
which makes V = 2.405 (the largest V number to
meet single mode operation). This
c
is called
the single mode fibers cutoff wavelength. For
wavelengths shorter than
c
, more modes will
propagate in the fiber and the fiber becomes a
multimode fiber instead of single mode.
CUT OFF WAVELENGTH
Defination: a wavelength above which a guided
mode of a waveguide ceases to exist
The number of guided modes of a waveguide (for
example, an optical fiber) depends on the optical
wavelength: the shorter the wavelength, the more
modes can be guided.
The CUTOFF WAVELENGTH of a single mode
fiber is the wavelength above which the fiber
propagates only the fundamental mode.

POWER DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN CORE AND
CLADDING
The minimum wavelength at which an optical fiber
will support only one propagating mode is referred
to as the cutoff wavelength.
As shown, more power will go into the cladding as
V number approaches cutoff for any particular
mode
Determine the cut off wavelength for a step index
fiber to exibit single mode operation where the core
refractive index and radius are 1.46 4.5 micro meter
respectively, with relative index difference being
0.25%.
Solution:1214 nm.