Limiting factors in fiber optic

transmissions
Sergiusz Patela, Dr Sc

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© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6
 Fiber optics fairy tale

Once upon a time, the world assumed that fiber possessed infinite
bandwidth and would fulfill mankind’s communication needs into the
foreseeable future. ....

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 2/17

 Fiber optics transmission systems limits

• Fiber optic links are either

• Attenuation limited
• Dispersion limited

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 3/17

 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmission
bandwidth
Fiber related factors:
1. Fiber dispersion
2. Fiber nonlinearity
3. Optical noise
4. Fiber attenuation

Sources/amplifiers related factors:

1. Laser chirp
2. Electrical bandwidth
3. Amplifiers noise (ASE)

Detector related factors:

1. Electrical bandwidth
© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 4/17
 Center wavelength and FWHM
FWHM

100
Center Wavelength
% of Spectral Emission 75

50

25

1292 1296 1300 1304 1308

Wavelength Range (nm)

Center Wavelength: In a laser, the nominal value central operating

wavelength. It is the wavelength defined by a peak mode
measurement where the effective optical power resides (see
illustration). In an LED, the average of the two wavelengths
measured at the half amplitude points of the power spectrum.
© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 5/17
 Semiconductor laser chirp
5 10
8

4 6

Frequency Shift (Ghz)

Light output (mW)
4

3 2
0

2 -2

-4

1 -6

-8
-10
0 10 20 30 40 50

Drive current (mA)

Chirp: In laser diodes, the shift of the laser’s center wavelength

during single pulse duration.

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 6/17

 Dispersion

Definition:

Any phenomenon in which the velocity of propagation of an

electromagnetic wave is wavelength dependent

In communication technology dispersion is used to describe any process

by which an electromagnetic signal propagating in a physical medium is
degraded because the various wave components (of different
frequencies and wave vectors) have different propagation velocities

In optical fiber communications dispersion relates to a few well defined

fiber parameters, namely: multimode, material, waveguide and
polarization dispersion.

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 7/17

 Mode dispersion. Pulse broadening in step
index fiber

θc
α nco

ncl

t
TB TB+∆T

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 8/17

 Dispersion of single mode fiber

30

Dispersion [ps/(km-nm)]
20 Dispersion (material)

10 Dispersion (total)

Dispersion (waveguide)
-10 λZD

-20

-30
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7
Wavelength [µm]

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 9/17

 Refractive index of fused silica

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 10/17

 Dispersion shifted fibers (DSF)
n

1.54
n1
20 n2
n2

r
d = ~9 µm 125 µm

10 Standard
Dispersion [ps/(km-nm)]

Dispersion flattened

Dispersion shifted
-10

-20
1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7
Wavelength [µm]
© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 11/17
 Chromatic dispersion vs. the source quality

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 12/17

 Nonlinear optical effects in fiber waveguides (1)

• Nnonlinear changes of refractive index, resulting in phase

modulation:
refractive index of fiber glass depends on light intensity;

Φ NL = n2k0 L E
2

SPM: (self phase modulation) - caused in the same channel by the pulse
power modulation.

XPM - (cross-phase modulation) - phase modulation caused by power

changes in neighboring channels

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 13/17

 Power penalty (normal DFB laser)

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 14/17

 Power penalty (hq DFB laser, 0.05 nm)

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 15/17

 Nonlinear optical effects in fiber waveguides (2)

• Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS):

As a result of interaction of photons with medium molecules (optical
phonons), new wave of different frequency is created

• Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS):

Scattering of photons on acoustic phonons;

• Four Wave Mixing (FWM):

By frequency mixing channels of frequencies f1 i f2 can generate new
frequencies 2f1-f2 i 2f2 - f1;
The new frequencies may interfere with signals in existing channels.

• Summary:
Contemporary technology enables WDM systems of 100 channels separated
by 10 GHz, 0,1 mW/channel at λ=1550 nm.

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 16/17

 Example - DWDM transmission degradation
by stimulated Raman scattering
Optical power spectrum Optical power spectrum
20
1
5
20
10
10
16
10
0

-10 0

-20 -10

1 5 10 16
-30 -20
186 188 190 192 194 196 186 188 190 192 194 196
Frequency [THz] Frequency [THz]

18.0 1.E-00
ch. 16
17.6 1.E-06
ch. 1
OSNR [dB]

1.E-12
17.2

BER
1.E-18
16.8
ch. 1
1.E-24
16.4 ch. 16
1.E-30
16.0 1.E-36
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
— channel 1
Fiber Length [km] — channel 16 Fiber Length [km]

© Sergiusz Patela, 2001-6 Limiting factors in fiber optic transmissions 17/17