Experiment No.

(6) Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

Experiment No. (6)

Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

 Object:

Design and simulate a fiber optic system using dispersion

compensating system to reduce or to cancel the chromatic dispersion in a single
mode fiber.

 Theory:

The pulse broadening effect of chromatic dispersion causes the signals in

the adjacent bit periods to overlap. This is called intersymbol interference (ISI).

Broadening is a function of distance as well as dispersion parameter DT.

For externally modulated sources, transmission distance limited by chromatic
dispersion is:

2πc
L<
16|DT |λ2 R2

When DT =16 ps/km/nm and R= 2.5 Gbps, L ≈ 500 km, whereas it drops to
30 km at 10 Gbps bit rate.

Compensation essentially means canceling the chromatic dispersion of

optical fiber. Dispersion compensation is applied mainly in telecommunication
systems, and sometimes in optical fibers transporting light e.g. to or from
some fiber-optic sensor.

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Experiment No. (6) Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

Dispersion compensation is an important issue for fiber-optic links. Here,

strong dispersive broadening of modulated signals can occur in cases with high
data rates. Without dispersion compensation, each symbol would be broadened so
much that it would strongly overlap with a number of neighbored symbols. Even
for moderate broadening, significant intersymbol interference can strongly distort
the detected signal. Therefore, it is essential to compensate the dispersion before
detecting the signal.

The dispersion of a transmission fiber can be compensated with sections of

fibers with different designs, e.g. dispersion compensation fiber (DCF) or with
other optical elements. Dispersion compensation modules (DCMs) can contain
long pieces of dispersion-shifted fibers or chirped fiber Bragg gratings. The latter
have the advantage of compactness and comparatively low insertion losses.

 Dispersion-Compensating Fiber

Dispersion-compensating fiber (DCF) provides an optical medium with a

relatively large negative chromatic dispersion factor (D(λ)) at the operating
wavelength. If a transmission fiber of length LTF is connected in series with a DCF
of length LDCF, then the total chromatic dispersion is given by

∆t = LTF DTF (λ)Δλ + LDCF DDCF (λ)Δλ

where DTF(λ) is the chromatic dispersion factor for the transmission fiber,
DDCF(λ) is the chromatic dispersion factor for the DCF and Δλ is the transmitter
spectral width. Similarly, the total attenuation loss of the two-fiber combination
is given by

𝐿𝑜𝑠𝑠 = 𝐿 𝑇𝐹 𝐴 𝑇𝐹 + 𝐿𝐷𝐶𝐹 𝐴𝐷𝐶𝐹

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Experiment No. (6) Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

Therefore, given target values for chromatic dispersion and attenuation loss
plus specifications of the transmitter, fiber and receiver, one can determine the
lengths of the transmission fiber and the DCF by solving the above two equations
simultaneously.

The DCF has the same parameters as the transmission fiber except that the
chromatic dispersion factor is about –80 ps/nm/km at 1550 nm, while the
chromatic dispersion of the transmission fiber is about 16 ps/nm/km for SSMF.

 FBG-Based Dispersion Compensation

The traditional means of overcoming the issue of dispersion has been to

incorporate bundles of DCF throughout the optical network. DCF-based
compensation is a quite straight forward technique, based on optical fibers having
a dispersion coefficient with an opposite sign compared to standard single-mode
fiber used for the actual transport.

Typically, DCFs have a dispersion coefficient four to eight times that of

standard single-mode fiber. However, this level of dispersion is achieved by
reducing the diameter of the fiber core. This, in turn, increases the fiber
transmission loss as well as limits the levels of optical power that can effectively
be transmitted through the fiber without inducing other distortions, so-called
“nonlinear” effects.

Nowadays, Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) are suggested to compensate

chromatic dispersion in fibers. Chromatic dispersion compensation using highly
efficient reflective (FBGs) is significantly different from DCF compensation. It
proves to have some obvious benefits with regard to addressing both the technical
as well as the cost-related issues of current and future dispersion compensation.

A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is a type of distributed Bragg

reflector constructed in a short segment of optical fiber that reflects
particular wavelengths of light and transmits all others. This is achieved by

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Experiment No. (6) Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

creating a periodic variation in the refractive index of the fiber core, which
generates a wavelength-specific dielectric mirror.

Dispersion compensation utilizing FBGs is based on the introduction of

wavelength-specific time delays through the use of a precisely chirped FBG. By
combining such a FBG with a standard optical circulator, a highly effective
dispersion compensation module (DCM) can be realized.

A graphical illustration of a FBG and principle of its operation are shown

in figure (1) and figure (2).

The re-compression of a dispersion-broadened pulse is accomplished by

letting the “fast” wavelengths of the pulse reflect farther away in the FBG than
the “slow” wavelengths reflected closer to the circulator. The exact reflection
position for each wavelength is governed by the precise, photo-induced, refractive
index changes within the fiber, which are controlled, down to single nanometers,
by a highly sophisticated manufacturing method.

FBGs vs. DCFs

As mentioned earlier, insertion loss is one of the largest drawbacks when it

comes to utilizing DCFs for dispersion compensation. For example, commercial
DCFs for 100- to 120-km standard single-mode fiber compensation have about
10 dB of insertion loss, whereas a FBG-DCM compensating the same span length
would only have between 3 to 4 dB.

Another benefit of the FBG-DCM is its resilience to withstand high optical

power. In contrast to DCFs, which display severe nonlinearity issues at quite
moderate optical powers, the FBG-DCM can tolerate the highest optical power
commonly found in any optical network without inducing any such effects.

DCF-based compensation often displays a high degree of wavelength-

dependent residual dispersion due to manufacturing and design issues, which
leads to inadequate slope matching. Low residual chromatic dispersion is an
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Experiment No. (6) Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

important requirement, particularly in high-bit-rate applications and where full-

wavelength-band dispersion compensation is desirable. Thus, the ability of FBG
technology to tailor the FBG’s compensation behavior to fit virtually any
dispersion and dispersion slope characteristic becomes a key advantage.

 Procedure:
1. Connect the circuit shown in figure (3) using optisystem.
2. Set project parameters as following:
Bit rate = 10 G bit/sec.
Sequence Length = 128 bits.
Samples per bit = 128.
3. For the CW laser, set:
Linewidth = 1 MHz.
Power = 0 dBm.
Wavelength = 1550 nm.
4. For the transmission optical fiber, set:
Attenuation effect = No.
Group Velocity Dispersion = Yes.
Third-Order Dispersion = Yes.
Dispersion = 16 ps/nm/km.
Dispersion Slope = 0.075 ps/nm2/km
Self-Phase Modulation = No.
Fiber Length = 50 km.
5. For the dispersion compensation fiber, set:
Attenuation effect = No.
Group Velocity Dispersion = Yes.
Third-Order Dispersion = Yes.
Dispersion = -80 ps/nm/km.
Dispersion Slope = 0.21 ps/nm2/km
Self-Phase Modulation = No.
6. For the photo detector PIN, set
Add signal-ASE noise = No.
Add ASE-ASE noise = No.
Add thermal noise = No.

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Experiment No. (6) Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

Add shot noise = No.

7. Vary the length of the DCF from 0 m to 50 m in step of 5 m.
8. Measure the value of Q-factor and BER using eye pattern analyzer.
9. Now, for the DCF, set:
User define reference wavelength = No.
Attenuation effect = No.
Group Velocity Dispersion = Yes.
Third-Order Dispersion = Yes.
Dispersion data type = from file.
Dispersion file name = C:\Program Files\Optiwave Software\OptiSystem 7
\samples\Fibers\ Optical fiber data DCF (Standard)_Dispersion.txt
Self-Phase Modulation = No.
Fiber Length = 10 km.
10. For the transmission optical fiber, set:
User define reference wavelength = No.
Attenuation effect = No.
Group Velocity Dispersion = Yes.
Third-Order Dispersion = Yes.
Dispersion data type = from file.
Dispersion file name = C:\Program Files\Optiwave Software\OptiSystem 7
\samples\Fibers\ Optical fiber data SMF-28_Dispersion.txt
Self-Phase Modulation = No.
Fiber Length = 50 km.
11. Vary the wavelength of CW laser from 1400 nm to 1600 nm in step of
25 nm.
12. Measure the value of Q-factor and BER using eye pattern analyzer.
13. Connect the circuit shown in figure (4) using optisystem.
14. Set project parameters as following:
Bit rate = 10 G bit/sec.
Sequence Length = 128 bits.
Samples per bit = 128.
15. For the CW laser, set:
Linewidth = 1MHz.
Power = 0 dBm.
Wavelength = 1550 nm.
16. For the transmission optical fiber, set:
Attenuation effect = No.
Group Velocity Dispersion = Yes.
Third-Order Dispersion = Yes.
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Experiment No. (6) Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

Dispersion = 16 ps/nm/km.
Dispersion Slope = 0.075 ps/nm2/km
Self-Phase Modulation = No.
Fiber Length = 50 km.
17. For the photo detector PIN, set
Add signal-ASE noise = No.
Add ASE-ASE noise = No.
Add thermal noise = No.
Add shot noise = No.
18. Set the wavelength of the FBG at 1550 nm.
19. Vary the Dispersion of FBG from 0 ps/nm to 2000 ps/nm in step
of -200 ps/nm.
20. Measure the value of Q-factor and BER using eye pattern analyzer.

 Graph:
1. Draw the Q-factor versus wavelength for step (8).
2. Draw the Q-factor versus Dispersion of FBG.

 Discussion:
1. State in detail the Dispersion Compensation Mechanisms.
2. Explain the fiber Bragg grating principles and how it is used in dispersion
compensation.
3. Compare between DCF and FBG.
4. State the relationship between maximum allowable dispersion and bit rate.

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Experiment No. (6) Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

Figure (1) Fiber Bragg Grating

Figure (2) Fiber Bragg grating operation

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Experiment No. (6) Study of Dispersion Compensation Schemes

Figure (3) Optical fiber system (1) Using optisystem

Figure (4) Optical fiber system (2) Using optisystem

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