1

Directional optic couplers

SUBMITTED BY
S.MAGESH RAJ
9917009057
DEPARTMENT OF
ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING
 Optical Couplers 2
 Optic couplers either split optical signals into multiple paths or
combine multiple signals on one path.
 The number of input (N)/ output (M) ports.
 Fused couplers can be made in any configuration, but they
commonly use multiples of two.
 COUPLER 3
 Uses
 Splitter: (50:50)
 Taps: (90:10) or (95:05)
 Combiners
 An important issue:
 two output differ p/2 in phase
 Applications:
 Optical Switches,
 Mach Zehnder Interferometers,
 Optical amplifiers,
 passive star couplers, ...
 Coupler Configuration 4

P1 P2 P1 P2
P3 P3

1
2
3

1
2 1 ……n
n
 Integrated Waveguide Directional
5
Coupler

P1

P0 P2
P4
z

P3

P1 = P0 - P2 = P0 cos2 kz
P2 = P0 sin2 kz
k = coupling coefficient = (m + 1)/2
 6

 A directional coupler

 Different performance
couplers can be made by
varying the length,
size for specific
wavelength.
 Fabrication: 7
Multimode Fibres
o Wavelength independent, depends on how light is launched
o In the coupling region
o Higher order modes are trapped at the outer surface of the cladding: thus
becoming cladding modes
o Lower order modes remain in the original fibre (as the incident angles are still
> the critical angle)
o Cladding modes are converted back
o into core modes at the output ports.
o The splitting ratio is determined by the
o length of the taper
o thickness of the cladding.

Cladding modes
Single Fibres 8

It is wavelength dependent.
Resonance occur when the two
fibres are close to each other.

The coupling length for

1.55 µm > the coupling
length for 1.3 µm:
100 % of light coupling for 1.3
µm to the core of fibre B, and
to the core of fibre A.
100% of light coupling for 1.55
µm to the core of fibre B
 PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS
9
Coupling ratio or splitting ratio
Power
from
any P
single
output

CR t
Tpower
otal
out
to
all
ports
P
T
out

 P2 
In dB  
CRlog
1010
P 

 1P
2

Excess Loss
Input
power
P
L
e i
Total
outputpowe
rPT
out

 P0 
e
L 10 
log
P
10 

 1P
2
Insertion Loss 10
Power
from
any
single
outpu
P
L
i t

Power
input
P
i

Isolation Loss or Crosstalk

Input
power
at
one
port
L
iso
Reflected
power
back
into
other
inpu
por

In dB P 
L 10
iso log
P
10
0

 
3
Tree and Branch Coupler 11

Fibre

Coupling ratio; 1:1 or 1: n,

where n is some fraction
Star Couplers 12
Optical couplers with more than four ports. the light at any of the input
port is split equally through all output ports.

Types of star couplers:

 TRANSMISSION STAR COUPLER
 REFLECTION STAR COUPLER

1 1
P1

PN
N N
Fibre Star Coupler 13

Combines power from N inputs and divided

them between M outputs


1 
Coupling ratio 

CR10 
log
10 
10
log
N
10
N
 

 P 
 in 
e
L 10
log
Excess loss 
10
N
P


 i out
,i 

1
Power at any one output P
o
,
i (P
1P
2.......
P)
N
n
Y- Couplers 14

Y-junctions are 1 x 2 couplers and are a key element

in networking.

I1
Ii
I2

1 X 8 coupler
APPLICATION 15

 Local monitoring of a light source output

(usually for control purposes).

 Distributing a common signal to several locations

simultaneously.

 Making a linear, tapped fiber optic bus. Here,

each splitter would be a 95%-5% device that
allows a small portion of the energy to be tapped
while the bulk of the energy continues down the
main trunk.
 16

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