Tutorial 1

Optical Communication Tutorial 1
Murali KS
August 2024
1 Problems
1. Consider an optical fiber with the following parameters:
• Core refractive index: n1 = 1.50

• Cladding refractive index: n2 = 1.48
• Core diameter: 2a = 8 µm
• Operating wavelength: λ = 1300 nm
(a) Numerical Aperture:

• Calculate the numerical aperture NA of the optical fiber.
(b) V-number:
• Calculate the V-number V (also known as the normalized fre-
quency) of the optical fiber at the operating wavelength λ =
1300 nm. Determine whether the fiber operates in single-mode
or multimode at the given wavelength. If it is multimode, cal-
culate the approximate number of modes M supported by the
fiber.
2. Sarah is an optical engineer working on a project to set up a high-speed

internet network in a rural area. The area has limited infrastructure, so
Sarah needs to carefully select the right type of optical fiber to ensure
reliable and fast internet service. She is considering using a multimode
step-index fiber for the backbone of the network.
The fiber she is evaluating has the following specifications:
• Core refractive index, n1 = 1.48

• Cladding refractive index, n2 = 1.46
• Core diameter, 2a = 50 µm
• Operating wavelength, λ = 850 nm
(a) Calculate the V-number V (also known as the normalized frequency)

of the fiber at the operating wavelength of 850 nm.
1
(b) Using the V-number, estimate the approximate number of modes M
that can propagate through the fiber.
3. If Sarah decides to use a single-mode fiber instead, what core diameter

should she select to ensure single-mode operation at the same wavelength
(850 nm)?
4. Olivia is working on an communication project and is evaluating a fiber
optic cable with the following specifications:
• Core refractive index (n1 ) = 1.47

• Numerical aperture (NA) = 0.18
• Operating wavelength (λ) = 1550 nm
What is the cladding refractive index? Determine the maximum core

diameter (2a) that would ensure single-mode operation for the fiber at
the operating wavelength of 1550 nm.
5. If the same cable is used in underwater communications with the index
of the input medium being nmedium = 1.34, and the light enters the fiber
core from the input medium at an angle of 10◦ , will the light be guided
within the fiber core?
6. You are designing an optical communication system using a polarization-
maintaining (PM) fiber with the following specifications:

• Cladding refractive index (n2 ) = 1.50
(a) Calculate the beat length.

(b) Now, The refractive index difference ∆n changes with temperature
according to the following linear function:
∆n(T ) = ∆n0 + α(T − T0 )
where:
• ∆n0 is the initial refractive index difference at a reference tem-
perature T0 .
• α is the temperature coefficient of the refractive index difference.
• T is the current temperature.
Given α = 0.0002 per °C, T0 = 25°C and Current temperature T =
35°C, calculate the new ∆n at the current temperature (35°C) and
determine the new beat length using the updated ∆n.
2
7. An optical fiber has a graded-index profile where the refractive index of
the core varies radially according to the equation:
r 2
n(r) = n1 1 − 2∆ for 0 ≤ r ≤ a
a
where:

• Relative index difference (∆) = 0.01
• Core radius (a) = 25 µm
• The refractive index of the cladding is n2 = 1.485
(a) Derive the expression for the numerical aperture NA(r) as a function
of the radial distance r within the core.
(b) Calculate the numerical aperture at the core-cladding interface r = a.
8. For the previous question, assume a light source with a wavelength of 1300
nm. Calculate the maximum acceptance angle in air at r = 0 (the center
of the core) and at r = a (the core-cladding interface).
9. For the same question, if the entire fiber is immersed in an alcohol with
refractive index 1.33, calculate the maximum acceptance angle in air at
r = 0 (the center of the core) and at r = a (the core-cladding interface).
10. Alice is designing a high-speed data transmission system using a graded-
index fiber with the following specifications:

• Cladding refractive index (n2 ) = 1.48
• Core radius (a) = 30 µm
• The refractive index profile of the core is described by a parabolic
distribution given by:
r 2
n(r) = n1 1 − 2∆ for 0 ≤ r ≤ a
a
where ∆ is the relative index difference between the core center and the
cladding. Determine the Relative Index Difference ∆
11. The optical fiber has the following characteristics:
• Core material: Silica

• Core refractive index: n1 = 1.45
3
• Cladding refractive index: n2 = 1.44
• Operating wavelength: λ = 1310 nm
• Fiber length: L = 20 km
• Rayleigh scattering coefficient at 1310 nm: αsc = 0.25 dB/km
(a) Calculate the total scattering loss in dB for the entire length of the
fiber at the operating wavelength of 1310 nm.
(b) If you switch the operating wavelength to 1550 nm, calculate the new
scattering loss coefficient αsc,2 and the corresponding total scattering
loss over the same fiber length.
12. Consider an optical fiber with a core material that has a wavelength-
dependent refractive index described by the empirical equation:
B
n(λ) = A +
λ2 − C
where:
• A = 1.45
• B = 0.25
• C = 0.01 µm2
• Wavelength of light is λ = 1.55 µm
(a) Calculate the refractive index of the core material at λ = 1.55 µm.
(b) Determine the group velocity dispersion (GVD) parameter
D at λ = 1.55 µm. The GVD parameter D is given by:
2πc d2 n
D=− ·
λ2 dλ2
where c is the speed of light in vacuum (c ≈ 3 × 108 m/s).
(c) Compute the total material dispersion for a spectral width of
∆λ = 0.02 µm and a fiber length of L = 10 km.
13. An optical fiber has a material dispersion parameter given by
Dmat (λ) = 15 + 0.03(λ − 1550) ps/(nm · km)
where λ is in nm.
The fiber has a length of 25 km and operates over a spectral width of 40
nm centered around 1550 nm, i.e., from 1530 nm to 1570 nm. Determine
the total pulse broadening in the fiber due to material dispersion over the
40 nm spectral width.
4
14. An optical fiber is designed to operate at a wavelength of λ0 = 1550 nm,
with a spectral width ∆λ = 10 nm. The fiber has a length of L = 50 km.
The material dispersion parameter Dmat (λ) around the wavelength λ0 is
given by:
dDmat 1 d2 Dmat
Dmat (λ) = Dmat,0 + (λ − λ0 ) + (λ − λ0 )2
dλ 2 dλ2
where:
• Dmat,0 = 16 ps/(nm·km) is the material dispersion at λ0 = 1550 nm,

2
• dDmat
dλ = 0.08 ps/(nm · km),
d2 Dmat 3
• dλ2 = 0.02 ps/(nm · km).
(a) Express the total material dispersion Dtotal over the spectral width
∆λ as an integral involving Dmat (λ) and calculate it.
(b) Determine the overall pulse broadening ∆t due to material dispersion
at the fiber output.
(c) If the fiber’s length is doubled, how does the pulse broadening change?
(d) One common method for compensating material dispersion is to use
a dispersion-compensating fiber (DCF) with an opposite dispersion
coefficient DDCF . Assuming DDCF = −80ps/(nmkm), calculate the
length of the compensating fiber.

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Optical Communication Tutorial 1

• Core refractive index: n1 = 1.50

(a) Numerical Aperture:

2. Sarah is an optical engineer working on a project to set up a high-speed

• Core refractive index, n1 = 1.48

(a) Calculate the V-number V (also known as the normalized frequency)

3. If Sarah decides to use a single-mode fiber instead, what core diameter

• Core refractive index (n1 ) = 1.47

What is the cladding refractive index? Determine the maximum core

• Core refractive index (n1 ) = 1.52

(a) Calculate the beat length.

∆n(T ) = ∆n0 + α(T − T0 )

• Core refractive index (n1 ) = 1.50

• Core refractive index (n1 ) = 1.51

• Core material: Silica

13. An optical fiber has a material dispersion parameter given by

Dmat (λ) = 15 + 0.03(λ − 1550) ps/(nm · km)

• Dmat,0 = 16 ps/(nm·km) is the material dispersion at λ0 = 1550 nm,

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