DIELECTRIC WAVEGUIDES and OPTICAL FIBERS

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1 DIELECTRIC WAVEGUIDES and OPTICAL FIBERS Light Light Light n 2 n 2 Light n 1 > n 2 A planar dielectric waveguide has a central rectangular region of higher refractive index n 1 than the surrounding region which has a refractive index n 2. It is assumed that the waveguide is infinitely wide and the central region is of thickness 2 a. It is illuminated at one end by a monochromatic light source. Figure 2.1

2 B n 2 λ Light y κ θ E k 1 A β θ θ n 1 d = 2a x z C n 2 A light ray travelling in the guide must interfere constructively with itself to propagate successfully. Otherwise destructive interference will destroy the wave. Figure 2.2

3 1 E n 2 A B y θ θ π 2θ 2θ π/2 2a k 1 A C x θ 2 1 n 1 z n 2 B Two arbitrary waves 1 and 2 that are initially in phase must remain in phase after reflections. Otherwise the two will interfere destructively and cancel each other. Figure 2.3

4 A n 2 1 E 2 Guide center θ k θ A C a y y π 2θ a x y z Interference of waves such as 1 and 2 leads to a standing wave pattern along the y- direction which propagates along z. Figure 2.4

5 Field of evanescent wave (exponential decay) y n 2 Field of guided wave E(y) m = 0 E(y,z,t) = E(y)cos(ωt β 0 z) Light n 1 n 2 The electric field pattern of the lowest mode traveling wave along the guide. This mode has m = 0 and the lowest θ. It is often referred to as the glazing incidence ray. It has the highest phase velocity along the guide. Figure 2.5

6 y n 2 Cladding E(y) m = 0 m = 1 m = 2 Core 2a n 1 n 2 Cladding The electric field patterns of the first three modes (m = 0, 1, 2) traveling wave along the guide. Notice different extents of field penetration into the cladding. Figure 2.6

7 High order mode Low order mode Intensity Light pulse Cladding Core Broadened light pulse Intensity Axial Spread, τ 0 t t Schematic illustration of light propagation in a slab dielectric waveguide. Light pulse entering the waveguide breaks up into various modes which then propagate at different group velocities down the guide. At the end of the guide, the modes combine to constitute the output light pulse which is broader than the input light pulse. Figure 2.7

8 (a) TE mode (b) TM mode y B // B y θ θ E // E y θ θ B z E E z B O z x (into paper) Possible modes can be classified in terms of (a) transelectric field (TE) and (b) transmagnetic field (TM). Plane of incidence is the paper. Figure 2.8

9 tan(ak 1 cosθ m mπ/2) m = 1, odd m = 0, even f(θ m ) θ c θ m Modes in a planar dielectric waveguide can be determined by plotting the LHS and the RHS of eq. (11). Figure 2.9

10 ω Slope = c/n 2 Slope = c/n 1 TE 2 TE 1 ω cut-off TE 0 β m Schematic dispersion diagram, ω vs. β for the slab waveguide for various TE m. modes. ω cut off corresponds to V = π/2. The group velocity v g at any ω is the slope of the ω vs. β curve at that frequency. Figure 2.10

11 y y Cladding λ 1 > λ c λ 2 > λ 1 v g1 Core v g2 > v g1 ω 1 < ω cut-off ω 2 < ω 1 E(y) Cladding The electric field of TE 0 mode extends more into the cladding as the wavelength increases. As more of the field is carried by the cladding, the group velocity increases. Figure 2.11

12 y y Cladding Core φ r z Fiber axis n 2 n 1 n The step index optical fiber. The central region, the core, has greater refractive index than the outer region, the cladding. The fiber has cylindrical symmetry. We use the coordinates r, φ, z to represent any point in the fiber. Cladding is normally much thicker than shown. Figure 2.12

13 Along the fiber 1 Meridional ray Fiber axis 3 1, 3 (a) A meridional ray always crosses the fiber axis Fiber axis 3 Skew ray (b) A skew ray does not have to cross the fiber axis. It zigzags around the fiber axis. Ray path along the fiber Ray path projected on to a plane normal to fiber axis Illustration of the difference between a meridional ray and a skew ray. Numbers represent reflections of the ray. Figure 2.13

14 (a) The electric field of the fundamental mode (b) The intensity in the fundamental mode LP 01 (c) The intensity in LP 11 (d) The intensity in LP 21 Core Cladding E E 01 r The electric field distribution of the fundamental mode in the transverse plane to the fiber axis z. The light intensity is greatest at the center of the fiber. Intensity patterns in LP 01, LP 11 and LP 21 modes. Figure 2.14

15 b LP 01 LP 11 LP 21 LP V Normalized propagation constant b vs. V-number for a step index fiber for various LP modes. Figure 2.15

16 α < α max A B α > α max n 2 n 0 n 1 Lost B θ < θ c θ > θ c Fiber axis Cladding Propagates A Core Maximum acceptance angle α max is that which just gives total internal reflection at the core-cladding interface, i.e. when α = α max then θ = θ c. Rays with α > α max (e.g. ray B) become refracted and penetrate the cladding and are eventually lost. Figure 2.16

17 Input Emitter Very short light pulse Cladding v g (λ 1 ) Core v g (λ 2 ) Output Intensity Intensity Intensity Spectrum, ² λ Spread, ² τ λ λ λ 1 o 2 λ 0 t τ t All excitation sources are inherently non-monochromatic and emit within a spectrum, ² λ, of wavelengths. Waves in the guide with different free space wavelengths travel at different group velocities due to the wavelength dependence of n 1. The waves arrive at the end of the fiber at different times and hence result in a broadened output pulse. Figure 2.17

18 Dispersion coefficient (ps km -1 nm -1 ) Dm Dm + Dw λ 0 D w λ (µm) Material dispersion coefficient (D m ) for the core material (taken as SiO 2 ), waveguide dispersion coefficient (D w ) (a = 4.2 µm) and the total or chromatic dispersion coefficient D ch (= D m + D w ) as a function of free space wavelength, λ. Figure 2.18

19 Intensity Output light pulse z τ t n 1 y // y Core E x n 1 x // x E y E x E y τ = Pulse spread t E Input light pulse Suppose that the core refractive index has different values along two orthogonal directions corresponding to electric field oscillation direction (polarizations). We can take x and y axes along these directions. An input light will travel along the fiber with E x and E y polarizations having different group velocities and hence arrive at the output at different times Figure 2.19

20 Dispersion coefficient (ps km -1 nm -1 ) 30 n D m r 0-10 λ 1 λ 2 D ch = D m + D w D w λ (µm) Thin layer of cladding with a depressed index Dispersion flattened fiber example. The material dispersion coefficient (D m ) for the core material and waveguide dispersion coefficient (D w ) for the doubly clad fiber result in a flattened small chromatic dispersion between λ 1 and λ 2. Figure 2.20

21 Dispersion coefficient (ps km -1 nm -1 ) 20 D m 10 SiO %GeO λ (µm) D w a (µm) Material and waveguide dispersion coefficients in an optical fiber with a core SiO %GeO 2 for a = 2.5 to 4 µm. Figure

22 Fiber Information Digital signal Emitter t Input Photodetector Information Output Input Intensity Output Intensity? τ 1/2 Very short light pulses 0 T t 0 t ~2? τ 1/2 An optical fiber link for transmitting digital information and the effect of dispersion in the fiber on the output pulses. Figure 2.22

23 Output optical power 1 T = 4σ σ 0.5 τ 1/2 A Gaussian output light pulse and some tolerable intersymbol interference between two consecutive output light pulses (y-axis in relative units). At time t = σ from the pulse center, the relative magnitude is e-1/2 = and full width root mean square (rms) spread is τ rms = 2σ. Figure 2.23 t

24 Electrical signal (photocurrent) Fiber Sinusoidal signal Emitter t f = Modulation frequency Optical Input Optical Output Photodetector 1 khz 1 MHz 1 GHz f el Sinusoidal electrical signal f P i = Input light power 0 t P o = Output light power 0 t P o / P i khz 1 MHz 1 GHz f op An optical fiber link for transmitting analog signals and the effect of dispersion in the fiber on the bandwidth, f op. Figure 2.24 f

25 n 2 O n 1 n (a) Multimode step index fiber. Ray paths are different so that rays arrive at different times. O O' O'' n 2 n 1 n (b) Graded index fiber. Ray paths are different but so are the velocities along the paths so that all the rays arrive at the same time. n 2 Figure 2.25

26 (a) TIR (b) TIR n decreases step by step from one layer to next upper layer; very thin layers. Continuous decrease in n gives a ray path changing continuously. (a) A ray in thinly stratifed medium becomes refracted as it passes from one layer to the next upper layer with lower n and eventually its angle satisfies TIR. (b) In a medium where n decreases continuously the path of the ray bends continuously. Figure 2.26

27 E Medium k z Attenuation of light in the direction of propagation. Figure 2.27

28 O 2 1 B θ B θ B' c/n a c/n b B' θ B' Ray 2 A θ A M Ray 1 B'' n c n b n a c b a O' We can visualize a graded index fiber by imagining a stratified medium with the layers of refractive indices n a > n b > n c... Consider two close rays 1 and 2 launched from O at the same time but with slightly different launching angles. Ray 1 just suffers total internal reflection. Ray 2 becomes refracted at B and reflected at B'. Figure 2.28

29 A solid with ions E x Light direction k z Lattice absorption through a crystal. The field in the wave oscillates the ions which consequently generate "mechanical" waves in the crystal; energy is thereby transferred from the wave to lattice vibrations. Figure 2.29

30 A dielectric particle smaller than wavelength Incident wave Through wave Scattered waves Rayleigh scattering involves the polarization of a small dielectric particle or a region that is much smaller than the light wavelength. The field forces dipole oscillations in the particle (by polarizing it) which leads to the emission of EM waves in "many" directions so that a portion of the light energy is directed away from the incident beam. Figure 2.30

31 10 5 OH - absorption peaks Rayleigh scattering 1310 nm 1550 nm Lattice absorption Wavelength (µm) Illustration of a typical attenuation vs. wavelength characteristics of a silica based optical fiber. There are two communications channels at 1310 nm and 1550 nm. Figure 2.31

32 Field distribution θ θ Cladding Core θ θ > θ c θ Microbending θ < θ Escaping wave R Sharp bends change the local waveguide geometry that can lead to waves escaping. The zigzagging ray suddenly finds itself with an incidence angle θ that gives rise to either a transmitted wave, or to a greater cladding penetration; the field reaches the outside medium and some light energy is lost. Figure 2.32

33 α B (m -1 ) for 10 cm of bend λ = 633 nm V 2.08 λ = 790 nm V Radius of curvature (mm) Measured microbending loss for a 10 cm fiber bent by different amounts of radius of curvature R. Single mode fiber with a core diameter of 3.9 µm, cladding radius 48 µm, = 0.004, NA = 0.11, V 1.67 and 2.08 (Data extracted and replotted with correction from, A.J. Harris and P.F. Castle, IEEE J. Light Wave Technology, Vol. LT14, pp , 1986; see original article for discussion of peaks in α B vs. R at 790 nm). Figure 2.33

34 Preform feed Thickness monitoring gauge Furnace 2000 C Polymer coater Ultraviolet light or furnace for curing Take-up drum Capstan Schematic illustration of a fiber drawing tower. Figure 2.34

35 r Buffer tube: d = 1mm n n 1 n 2 Protective polymerinc coating Cladding: d = µm Core: d = 8-10 µm The cross section of a typical single-mode fiber with a tight buffer tube. (d = diameter) Figure 2.35

36 Drying gases Vapors: SiCl 4 + GeCl 4 + O 2 Fuel: H 2 Burner Deposited soot Porous soot preform with hole Furnace Preform Furnace Target rod Deposited Ge doped SiO 2 Rotate mandrel (a) (b) Clear solid glass preform (c) Drawn fiber Schematic illustration of OVD and the preform preparation for fiber drawing. (a) Reaction of gases in the burner flame produces glass soot that deposits on to the outside surface of the mandrel. (b) The mandrel is removed and the hollow porous soot preform is consolidated; the soot particles are sintered, fused, together to form a clear glass rod. (c) The consolidated glass rod is used as a preform in fiber drawing. Figure 2.36

37 v g (m/s) c/n TE 0 TE 1 TE c/n ω (1/s) ω cut-off = Group velocity vs. angular frequency for three modes for a planar dielectric waveguide which has n 1 = 1.455, n 2 = 1.44, a = 10 µm (Results from Mathview, Waterloo Maple math-software application). TE 0 is for m = 0 etc. Figure 2.37

38 1.5 V[d 2 (Vb)/dV 2 ] V - number [d 2 (Vb)/dV2] vs. V-number for a step index fiber (after W.A. Gambling et al., The Radio and Electronics Engineer, 51, 313, 1981) Figure 2.38

39 n 3 Medium 3 δ y = 5δ/2 B' y = 3δ/2 n 2 B θ B' θ B θ B' θ B' Medium 2 A Ray B θ A θ A Ray A O n Medium 1 1 θ B' B'' θ B δ y = δ/2 δ/2 y = 0 O' Step-graded-index dielectric waveguide. Two rays are launched from the center of the waveguide at O at angles θ A and θ B such that ray A suffers TIR at A and ray B suffers TIR at B'. Both TIRs are at critical angles. Figure 2.39

40 0.5P 0.25P 0.23P O O' O O (a) (b) (c) Graded index (GRIN) rod lenses of different pitches. (a) Point O is on the rod face center and the lens focuses the rays onto O' on to the center of the opposite face. (b) The rays from O on the rod face center are collimated out. (c) O is slightly away from the rod face and the rays are collimated out. Figure 2.40

Guided Propagation Along the Optical Fiber. Xavier Fernando Ryerson University

Guided Propagation Along the Optical Fiber Xavier Fernando Ryerson University The Nature of Light Quantum Theory Light consists of small particles (photons) Wave Theory Light travels as a transverse electromagnetic