OPTICAL FIBERS

Ranjith R
R20MPH15
Photonics I
Department Of Physics , School Of Applied Sciences
 WHAT IS AN OPTICAL FIBER ?
• Optical fiber is the technology associated with data transmission using light
pulses traveling along with a long fiber which is usually made of plastic or glass.
• Optical fibers are also unaffected by electromagnetic interference.
• The fiber optical cable uses the application of total internal reflection of light.
• The fibers are designed such that they facilitate the propagation of light along the
optical fiber depending on the requirement of power and distance of
transmission.

2
BASIC STRUCTURE
TYPES OF OPTICAL FIBERS

Based on mode of propagation of light

Single mode optical fiber
Multimode optical fiber

Based on refractive index profile

Step index fiber
Graded-index fiber

Based on fiber material

Glass fiber
Plastic fiber
a)Single-mode optical fibers

 As the name suggests, this type of optical fiber transmits only one mode of light. To put it another
way, it can carry only one wavelength of light across its length.

 This wavelength is usually 1310nm or 1550nm.

 single-mode type of optical fibers is much better than multimode optical fibers as they have more
bandwidth and experience fewer losses. So the speed is unmatched.

 Interestingly, single-mode fibers came into existence after multimode fibers. They are more recent
than the multimode cables.
 These cables can carry only one mode, physically, by having a tiny core (with a diameter of only
few micrometers). That is to say that the diameter of the core is essentially of the same order as the
wavelength of the light passing through it.
 The diameter of the core,

 Only lasers are used as a light source.

 Since the light travels in a straight direction, there are fewer losses, and it can be used in
applications requiring longer distance connections.
 A distinct disadvantage of single-mode fiber is that they are hard to couple.

 They work only in step-index configuration.

 Fabrication is difficult and costly.

b)Multimode optical fiber

• As the name implies, these types of optical fibers allow multiple modes of light to travel along
their axis.
• To explain physically, they can do this by having a thicker core diameter.
• The wavelengths of light waves in multimode fibers are in the visible spectrum ranging from 850
to 1300 nm.
• The reflection of the waves inside the multimode fiber occurs at different angles for every mode.
Consequently, based on these angles, the number of reflections can vary.
• We can have a mode where the light passes without striking the core at all.
• We can have a slightly higher mode, which will travel with appropriate internal reflections.
• Since the basis of optical fiber, communication is a total internal reflection, all modes with incident
angles that do not cause total internal reflection get absorbed by the cladding. As a result, losses are
created.
• We can have higher-order modes, waves that are highly transverse to the axis of the waveguide can
reflect many times. In fact, due to increased reflections at unusual angles, higher-order modes can
get completely lost inside the cable.
• Lower order modes are moderately transverse or even completely straight and hence fare better
comparitively. There are two types of multimode optical fibers:
1. stepped index multimode optical fiber
2. graded-index multimode optical fiber.
Step index fibers

It consists of a core surrounded by the cladding which has a single uniform index of
refraction.
• The refractive index of the core is uniform throughout and undergoes on abrupt change at the core cladding
boundary 
 
• The diameter of the core is about 50-200μm in the case of multimode fiber and 10μm in the case of single mode
fiber 
 
• The path of light propagation is zig- zag in manner
 
• Attenuation is more for multimode step index fiber but for single mode it is very less.
 
 Explanation: 
 When a ray travels through the longer distances there will be some difference in reflected angles.
Hence high angle rays arrive later than low angle rays causing dispersion resulting in distorted output. 
 
• This fiber has lower bandwidth
 
• The light ray propagation is in the form of meridional rays and it passes through the fiber axis. 
 
Graded-index fibers

The refractive index of the optical fiber decreases as the radial distance from the fiber axis
increases.
• The refractive index of the core is made to vary gradually such that it is maximum at the center of the core. 
 
• The diameter of the core is about 50μm in the case of multimode fiber
 
• The path of light is helical in manner
 
• Attenuation is less. 

 Explanation:

Here the light rays travel with different velocity inn different paths because of their variation in their refractive indices.
At the outer edge it travels faster than near the center. But almost all the rays reach the exit at the same time due to helical path.
Thus, there is no dispersion.
 
• This fiber has higher bandwidth
 
• The light propagation is in the form of skew rays and it will not cross fiber axis.
Thank you for
your time and
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