Introduction to
Fiber Optics
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History
1841 – Daniel Colladon
conducts experiment to
guide light in water stream
Light
Reflected From
Surface Water
Light Source
Light Gradually Leaks Out as Rough Spots
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History
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Landmarks
♦ 1960 – Helium-Neon lasers emerge
♦ 1966 – First practical waveguide theorized
(1000 dB/km)
♦ 1970 – Corning breaks the 20 dB/km attenuation
barrier
♦ 1972 – First field trial of fiber-optic cable system
♦ 1983 – First U.S. single-mode system
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Fiber versus Copper
•A single copper pair is capable
of carrying 6 phone calls
•A single fiber pair is capable of
carrying over 2.5 million
simultaneous phone calls
•A fiber optic cable with the same
information-carrying capacity
(bandwidth) as a comparable copper
cable is less than 1% of both the size
and weight
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Typical Communications System
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Theory and Principles of Fiber Optics
• Anatomy of a Fiber
• Types of Optical Fiber
• Principle of Operation
• System Performance Parameters
– Wavelength
– Attenuation
– Dispersion
– Bandwidth
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Fibre Anatomy
• Core – Carries the light
• Cladding – Keeps the light in the core
• Coating – protects the core & cladding
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Index of Refraction
Speed of Light in a Vacuum
Index of Refraction =
Speed of Light in a Medium
Medium Index of Refraction
Vacuum 1.0
Air 1.0003
Water 1.33
Cladding 1.46
Core 1.48
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Numerical Aperture (NA)
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Acceptance Cone
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Optical transmitters
The rays from a light source always propagate in
straight lines. For optical transmission the light
must therefore be "directed".
The Light-Emitting Diode (LED), due to the large
1.0
cone of light, is better used with focusing,
transmitting and modulating signals. The useful
0.5 60 nm
wave length is 850 or 1300nm with a tolerance
of +/- 60nm . 700 800 900 1000
The Laser Diode (LD), with its parallel-directed 1.0
beam, is preferably used for the transmission of
longer ranges. Its wavelength tolerance is given 0.5 5 nm
as only +/- 5 nm at 1310 nm.
The Vertical-Cavitiy-Surface-Emitting-Laser 849 850 851
(VCSEL) Spotsize approximately 30µm; good for
high frequency modulation
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Optical transmitters – Spot size
The spot-size and the laser launch are factors which affect the
fibre-bandwidth.
cladding/125µ
core/50µ
coatings/250µ
Laser
Tx Spot size 8-10µm
VCSEL
Tx Spot size 30-40µm
LED
Tx Spot size > 100 µm
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System Performance Parameters
• The light that travels down the fiber at various
wavelengths
• As the light travels down the fiber, attenuation
occurs
• As the light travels down the fiber, dispersion
occurs which affects bandwidth
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System Performance Parameters
WAVELENGTH
is a characteristic of light that
is emitted from the light
source and is measured in
nanometers (nm)
Single-mode
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Wavelength?
490nm
Lower wavelength –
Shorter wave
580nm
750nm
Higher wavelength –
Longer wave
1nm = 0.000 000 001 meters or 0.000 001mm or 0.001 microns
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Intrinsic Attenuation - Absorption
Losses that are Inherent or Within the Fiber
Absorption — Natural Impurities In the
Glass Absorb Light Energy.
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Intrinsic Attenuation - Scatter
Scattering — Light rays traveling in the core
interact with glass on the atomic level and are
scattered into new pathways that may be lost
through the cladding.
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Extrinsic Attenuation – Macro Bending
Loss caused by bending the fibre below the minimum bend radius
eg not using suitable cable management hardware
Macrobending - Loss due to large scale bending.
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Extrinsic Attenuation - Microbending
Loss caused by small bend affecting the fibre
eg cable ties installed too tight
Microbending – Loss due to small scale distortions.
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System Performance: Bandwidth
Defined as the amount of information that a
system can carry such that each pulse of
light is distinguishable by the receiver
Each Pulse Apparent
Receiver can Read
Pulses Merged
Receiver cannot Read
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Types Of Optical Fiber
50 µm or 62.5 µm
Multimode:
Allows multiple modes
(rays) of light to travel
through the core
Single-mode: 8.3 µm
Allows only one mode
(ray) of light to travel
through the core
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How is 50/125 µm different from 62.5/125 µm?
♦ Design Differences
♦ Same Cladding Diameter
♦ Only Core Size Differs
♦ Numerical Aperture
♦ 0.200 - 50 µm
♦ 0.275 - 62.5 µm
Coating Cladding
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Safety Precautions
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Safety
If any of Corning's Procedural
Recommendations Conflict with Your
Company's Normal Safety Procedures,
Your Company's Normal Safety
Procedures should take Precedence.
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Chemical Safety
Material Safety Data Sheets are
Included
for Each Material or Chemical
Used in the Course Instruction.
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Laser Handling Precautions
CAUTION:
Laser Light is Invisible. Viewing it Directly does
not Cause Pain. The Iris of the Eye will not Close
Involuntarily as when Viewing a Bright Light.
Consequently, Serious Damage to the Retina
of the Eye is Possible.
NOTE:
Should Accidental Eye Exposure to Laser Light be
Suspected, Arrange for an Eye Examination Immediately.
DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY INTO A LASER !
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Fiber Handling Precautions
WARNING:
Cleaved Glass Fibers are very Sharp and can
Pierce the Skin Easily. Do not let Cut Pieces
of Fiber Stick to Your Clothing or Drop in the
Work Area where they can Cause Problems
Later. Use Tweezers to Pick up Cut or
Broken Pieces of the Glass Fibers and Place
them on a Loop of Tape kept for that Purpose
Alone. Dispose of them Properly.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING IS VERY IMPORTANT
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General Safety Tips
• Wear Gloves when Stripping Cable.
• Follow the Instructor's Recommended Procedure
for Using the Hook Blade to Strip Cable. If not
Used Properly, Hook Blades may Slip Causing
Cuts to the Hand.
REMEMBER
Good Housekeeping and Common Sense will
Prevent many Unnecessary Accidents.
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