Optical Power Launching & Coupling

Coupling Efficiency:
Measure of amount of optical power emitted from a source that can be
coupled into a fiber
= PF/PS = Power Coupled/Power Emitted
Depend on the type of attached fiber & also on the coupling process

In some cases, a short length of optical fiber is already attached

with the source - know an flylead
The problem of improper coupling is now reduced to simply joining of two
fiber (known as splicing)

Source to fiber power launching:

The coupled optical power into a fiber depends on the radiance (or
brightness B) of an optical source
Also known as spatial distribution of optical fiber

Spatial radiation pattern of source:

The radiance may be a function of and , and can also vary
from point-to-point on the emitting surface.
This considers the emission as uniform across the source area

LED are characterized by their lambertian output pattern

Source is equally bright when viewed from any direction
The emission pattern will be

B(,) = B0Cos

Schematic diagram of a light source coupled to an optical fiber.

Light outside the acceptance angle is lost.

Power Coupling Calculation:

For a symmetric source of brightness B(AS,S)
where

AS area of source, and

S solid emission angle of source

The fiber end face is centered over the emitting surface of source
and is positioned as close to it as possible

The coupled power is denoted as P

Mathematical expression

The emitting surface is taken as circular

If the source radius is less than fiber core radius (i.e., rs<a)
The upper limit, rm = rs

Or, if rs>a
Then rm = a

Mathematical expression

 Above is the condition, if the RI of medium separating the Source

and Fiber ends matches RI of Fiber core (i.e., n1)
If the RI of medium (n) is different i.e., n n1
then for perpendicular end faces, the power reduces by the factor of R
i.e., Power coupled, Pcoup = (1-R) Pemitted

Power Launching Vs Wavelength:

Optical power launched into a fiber does not depend on the
wavelength of source
But only on its brightness (or radiance)

Number of modes that can propagate in a GIF of core size a &

index profile is
Thus,

M900 = 2 x M1300

Also, the radiated power per mode, at a particular wavelength, is

Ps/M = B02
Thus,

(Ps)1300 = (Ps)900

Hence, two identically sized sources operating at different wavelength

but having identical radiances will launce equal amount of power into
the same fiber