SOLUTIONS Undergraduate EXAMINATION PAPER

2002/2003.

OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

Attempt THREE questions only. Physical constants which may be required: Planck's constant h=6.63x10-34 J s; velocity of light in space c=3x1010cm/s; charge of electron e=1.6x1019 C. Question 1. [10 marks] 1.1. Explain, how refractive index of a silica fibre depends on the intensity of propagating light ? [2 marks]

Solution. Nonlinear refractive index in silica fibres is expressed as n = n0 + n 2 I where I is the intensity and

n2 = 2.7 10 16 cm2 / W is the nonlinear coefficient.

1.2 For a fibre link operating at 1.55m at 2.5Gbit/s using standard single mode fibre construct a typical power budget for a receiver sensitivity of 41dBm. Determine a suitable launch power for a 150 km long link. [4 marks]. Solution: Transmitted power:

P(L) (dBm) = Pin (dBm) - alpha L ,

where alpha [dB/km] - fibre loss = 0.2 dB/km for SMF at 1.55 For a given value of P(L) > - 41 dBm, Pin is found as Pin = P(L) (dBm) + alpha x L > - 41 dBm +0.2 (dB/km) x150 (km)= -11 dBm, 1.3. Calculate the threshold pump power for an EDFA. Pump wavelength =0.97m, effective fibre mode area Aeff = 30m2, absorption cross section p =3e-21cm2, upper level lifetime 21=9ms. [4 marks]. Solution. The pump flux required for transparency (population inversion) is given by S thr = Photon energy: hp = 2*10-19J and the threshold pump power is calculated as Pthr=hp Sthr Aeff = 2.3mW.

1 21 p

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Question 2. [10 marks] 2.1 Calculate the V-value for the step-index fibre at wavelengths of 800 nm and at 1500 nm (ncore = 1.46, ncladding = 1.45, radius a = 20 m). [ 2 marks] Estimate the number of modes. [ 2 marks] Solution:

2 20 2 a 2 2 V = ( ncore ncladd ) =
The number of modes approximately (i) = 800 nm = 0.8 m (ii) = 1.5 m

[(1.46) 2 (1.45) 2 ] =

21.33 [ mm]

V2 2 V = 26.6625; V = 14.22; N

N(modes) = 355 N = 101 [2

2.2 Describe the main sources of loss in a single mode optical fibre link. marks] Solution: Intrinsic: Extrinsic absorption; splice loss; scattering; connection/coupling loss; microbending; facet reflection; mode coupling loss. nonlinear loss.

2.3 LED is made of a ternary compound Alx Ga 1-x As. Resulting band-gap is defined as Eg(x)=1.424+1.247x[eV], where x= 0.27. Calculate: (a) Bandgap [eV] and emission wavelength [nm]; [2 marks] (b) Driving current, corresponding to the output power of 3dBm, if the internal quantum efficiency is = 0.113; [2 marks] Solution. (a) Eg(x)=1.424+1.247x=1.66eV. = 1.24 / Eg = 704[nm] . (b) P[mW]=10^(P[dBm]/10)=2[mW] =2e-3[W]. h = 2.82*10-19J I=P*q/(hv) = 10[mA].

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Question 3. [10 marks] 3.1. Define the terms material dispersion and waveguide dispersion. [1 mark] Solution. When an electromagnetic wave interacts with bound electrons of a dielectric, the medium response in general depends on the optical frequency. This property, referred to as chromatic dispersion, manifests itself through the frequency dependence of the refractive index. A contribution to the total dispersion that is caused by the medium characteristics is called a material dispersion. A contribution to the total dispersion which is caused by the waveguide structure is called a waveguide dispersion. 3.2. Describe three communication windows and give some typical values of loss for standard single mode fibre [2 marks] Solution. The main communication windows are located around 0.85m, 1.3m, and 1.55m. Typical loss of an optical fibre is about or just below 0.2dB/km at a wavelength of 1.55m; under 0.5dB/km at 1.3 m and ~1dB/km at 850nm. 3.3 Core of a polymer fibre consists of pure polymethylmethcrylate (PMMA), and cladding is made of fluorinated PMMA. Assuming cladding refractive index nclad = 1.405; numerical aperture NA=0.5 and core diameter =50m, determine: (a) refractive index of pure PMMA. [2 marks] (b) the V-parameter at a wavelength of 0.785m. [2 marks] (c) maximum transmission capacity of the above fibre in a 0.1 km long link. [3 marks] Solution. (a) (b)
2 ncore = nclad + NA2 =

1.4913 100

(c)

2a 2 2 Fibre core radius a=25m. V = ( n co n cl ) = cn cl B 1 4 Lnco ( n co n cl ) = , therefore B 4 T

8.18 Mb/s

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Question 4. [10 marks] 4.1 The cut-off wavelength of a fibre is the shortest wavelength at which single mode propagation will occur within the fibre. A step-index single-mode fibre has the cladding refractive index 1.46 and the relative index difference
= n1 n2 = 0.3 %. The fibre has cut-off ranging from 800 nm to 1300 nm. n1

Calculate the core radius variation of this fibre. [5 marks]. Solution: Cut-off condition for a step-index fibre is V = 2.405. Next,

2 a 2 V = n12 n 2
We use here NA found from
2 n12 n2 =

a =

cut off Vcut off

2 2 n12 n2

cut off

2.405

2 0.113

= cutoff 3.39

n2 1.46 ( 2 ) = (2 0.003) 0.003 = 0.113 1 1 0.003

a1=2.712 m; a2 = 4.407

800nm: 1300nm:

4.2 Laser wave propagates along an optical fibre. For every 10 km of fibre the signal power attenuates by a factor of 2. (a) Calculate fibre loss in [dB/km] [1 mark] (b) In a 15km-long fibre, estimate effective interaction length. [2 marks]. (c) Calculate nonlinear phase shift in the fibre above assuming nonlinearity coefficient = 10[1/(km*W)] and power of 107 mW. [2 marks] Solution (a). Fibre loss is found as a=3dB/10km=0.3dB/km (b) [1/km] = -1/(10[km])* log(1/2) = 0.0693[1/km]. Leff = (1 - exp(- L))/ = 9.3263 [km]. (c) NL(Leff ) = PLeff = 10rad.

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Question 5. [10 marks]

5.1. A 700m long InGaAs laser (refractive index 3.6) has a bandgap of 0.8 eV. wavelength of optical emission [1 mark] and calculate the number of modes within the 2 nm linewidth of the laser. [4 marks]. Solution: The mode spacing:

Calculate the

2 =0.4nm. 2 Ln
1.55m

[ m] =

1.24 = E g [eV ]

The number of modes:

N = / 5

5 modes

5.2 Calculate the distance Leff where a phase shift occurs for optical power 100 mW in a fibre with effective mode area of 40m 2 at 1.55m. Nonlinear refractive index n2 =2.67x10-16 cm2/W. [5 marks] Solution. Expression for the nonlinear phase is easily converted into:

Leff =

Aeff NL = 11.6 km 2 Pn 2

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