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Attenuation
Savera Tanwir
Fiber Optic Communication Systems 2
Topics
Attenuation
Absorption
Intrinsic absorption
Impurities
Atomic Defects
Scattering
In homogeneities
Geometric Effects
Total Attenuation
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Fiber Optic Communication Systems 3
Attenuation
Attenuation is the reduction in amplitude and
intensity of a signal
The attenuation of an optical fiber measures the
amount of light lost between input and output
Receivers require some minimum power level,
to accurately detect the transmitted signal
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Attenuation
Losses occur at the channel coupler, splices,
and within the fiber itself
These transmission losses limit path length
Requirements for fiber material
Low loss
Ability to formed into hairlike long strands
Capable of slight variations to achieve different RIs
Continuous change in RI for Graded Index Fiber
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Glass - Attenuation
Glass fibers have low absorption than plastic
fibers
Glass fibers are preferred for long haul
communications
Glass in formed by fusing molecules of silica
(silicon dioxide SiO
2
) and other material
(titanium, thallium, germanium, boron etc.)
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Glass - Attenuation
Objective: manufacture low-loss fiber
Attenuation in Glass fiber
Absorption
Scattering
Geometric Effects
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Absorption
Intrinsic Absorption:
Glass absorbs heavily within specific wavelength
regions
A natural property of glass
It is very strong in the short-wavelength ultraviolet
portion
Peak loss
Ultraviolet region but
unimportant
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Absorption
Intrinsic absorption peak also occur between 7 and 12
m in the infrared
Infrared loss is associated with vibration of chemical
bonds
Intrinsic losses are mostly insignificant in wide region
where fiber systems can operate
Intrinsic losses restrict the extension of fiber systems toward the
ultraviolet as well as toward longer wavelengths
Fiber Optic Comm operates in a range of wavelengths from 0.5
to 1.6 m
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Impurities
Impurities are major source of loss in
practical fiber
Types of impurities
Transition-metal ions
OH ions
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Rayleigh Scattering
Dominant loss in the low absorption window between
ultraviolet and infrared regions
Caused due to inhomogeneities of random nature on
small scale compared to the wavelength
Inhomogeneities are fluctuations in refractive index due
to density and compositional variations in the glass
lattice
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Rayleigh Scattering
Rayleigh scattering is proportional to
-4
Loss is given by the following formula
L = 1.7 (0.85/)
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The is in micrometers and L is in dB/km
Corresponding electric- field attenuation is
=L/8.685 Where unit is km
-1
Scattering restricts the use of fibers at short wavelengths. As
Wavelength increases the scattering loss diminishes
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Inhomogeneities
Introduced un intentionally during manufacturing
Imperfect mixing and dissolution of chemicals
Imperfect processing produces rough core-
cladding interface
Scattering objects are larger than a wavelength
These losses can be controlled by proper
manufacturing techniques
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Geometric Effects
Two types of bends that cause attenuation
Macroscopic
Microscopic
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Macroscopic Bends
Refers to large-scale bending
E.g occurs intentionally when wrapping the fiber on a spool or
pulling around a corner
125m diameter fiber can be bent with radii of curvature 25 mm.
The fiber will not fracture unless the bend radius is less than 10 mm
The strength of fiber depends on the microscopic flaws, these flaws
grows over time
For commercial
125m fiber, minimum bend radius is 25mm
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Geometric Effects
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Microscopic bends
Occurs when a fiber is sheathed within a
protective cable
The stresses set up during the cabling process
cause small axial distortions (microbends)
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Total Attenuation
Scattering and absorption combine to give
total loss, or attenuation, which is the
important number in communication
systems.
Attenuation normally is measured in
decibels per kilometer for communication
fibers.
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Total Attenuation
Minimum loss for silica fiber is 0.15dB at 1.5 m
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Total Attenuation
Spectral Attenuation for all-glass fibers
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Total Attenuation
Spectral Attenuation for hard-clad silica fiber
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Total Attenuation
Spectral Attenuation for an all-plastic fiber cable
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Measuring Losses
Optical Power Meter
Measures power at the input and output
Loss is ratio of two power measurements
divided by length of fiber
Not practical for long-distance fibers
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Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer
Connected at one end only
Transmits an optical pulse at one end and
measures the backscattered optical power
The backscattering occurs at the discontinuities
like splices, connectors, fiber breaks
The time delay of the reflection is measure of
their location
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Sample Power Budget Calculation
6 dB Available fiber loss
-26 dB 26 dB Total losses
4 dB Power margin
6 dB Connector & Splices
16 dB Coupling loss
32 dB Loss Budget
-30 dB Receiver Sensitivity
2 dB LED output power