3.

46 PHOTONIC MATERIALS AND DEVICES

Lecture 5: Waveguide DesignOptical Fiber and Planar Waveguides

Lecture Notes
Fiber Optics
Optical fiber core + cladding n1 < n2
guided if n2 > n1
power loss to cladding if n2
< n1 n2
n1
n

c = sin1 1

n2
JK K
each mode travels with , v g , U (x,y), P, k
single mode (small core)
multi mode (large core)

modal dispersion: modes have different v g

graded index fiber: gradual reduction of n2
step index fiber: n2 n1 step change @ boundary
modal dispersion reduced for graded index: v g
as n i.e. large rays travel farther but faster. (a)

Step Index Fiber

2a 50 m
typically: = multi-mode fiber
2b 125 m
2a 8-10 m single-mode fiber
= fractional index change
n2 n1
=  1

n2

b
Typical dopants to SiO2: Ti, Ge, B a
n2 : (1.44 1.46)
: (0.001 0.02)

numerical aperture: NA = light gathering power

guiding of ray incident from air c = a for air/core nn11 n

n22
interface
1. sin a = n2 sin c
1
sina
= n2 (1cos2 c )2
1

n 2 2

= n2 1 1
n2
1

= (n22 n12 )2

a = sin1(NA)
1 1
NA = (n22 n12 ) 2 n2 (2) 2

3.46 Photonic Materials and Devices Lecture 5: Waveguide DesignOptical Fiber and Planar Waveguides
Prof. Lionel C. Kimerling Page 1 of 5
 Lecture Notes

a = acceptance for fiber

exit angle for fiber c
c = complementary critical

e.g. SiO2 fiber

n2 = 1.46, = 0.01
n
c = cos1 1 = 8.1 c
n2
a = 11.9
NA = 0.206

Unclad fiber
n2 = 1.46 , n1 = 1 , =0.96
c = 46.8 , a = 90
NA = 1
(all rays are guided)

Guided Waves u(r,,z) = u(r ) eje jz

Helmholtz equation
(b )
2u + n2k 02u = 0
n = n2 , r < a ; n = n1 , r > a
2
k0 =
0

Condition for guiding

n1k 0 < < n2 0

kT = rate of change of u(r) in core

rate of decay high low penetration
= rate of U(r) in cladding

k T 2 = n22k 02 2

2 = 2 n12k 02

(n22 n12 )k02 = (NA )

2
k 2T + 2 k 02

k , penetration into cladding

T

k T > NA 0 imaginary, wave escape core

3.46 Photonic Materials and Devices Lecture 5: Waveguide DesignOptical Fiber and Planar Waveguides
Prof. Lionel C. Kimerling Page 2 of 5
 Lecture Notes

V-parameter
Single mode fiber design

Define:
X = k T = normalized transverse
phase constant in core
Y = T = normalized transverse
attenuation constant in clad
X + Y = V2
2 2

a
V = 2 NA
0

= normalized frequency

2.405 for single mode

core radius requirement for single mode

1.2 0
a< 1

(n22 n12 )2

if = 0.003, a = 8 10 m
most single mode fiber designed @ V = 2.8 for
better confinement of fundamental mode.

Weakly guiding fiber

n2  n1,  1

guided waves are TEM JJK

Ez
guided waves are paraxial ( & fiber axis)
linear polarization (x, y) orthogonal
LPlm = linear polarization mode
l = propogation constant (X + Y polarization travel equally no
m = spatial distribution coupling)

M, number of modes V >> 1

e.g. SiO2 fiber
n2 = 1.452, = 0.01, NA = 0.205
0 = 0.85 m (GaAs)
a (core) = 25 m
V = 37.9, M = 585

remove cladding n1 = 1, NA = 1

V = 184.8, M > 13,800

3.46 Photonic Materials and Devices Lecture 5: Waveguide DesignOptical Fiber and Planar Waveguides
Prof. Lionel C. Kimerling Page 3 of 5
 Lecture Notes

Group Velocity vg>>1

d
v lm =
dlm
2
(l + 2m)
v lm  c 2 1
M

z < l + 2m <
M

n
c 2 > v lm > c 2 1
n2
phase velocity > vlm > high order modes (high order modes slower)
fractional charge in v g 

large large NA
high modal dispersion
large M

Single Mode Fibers

small core diameter

small NA
long 0
u(r) ~ Gaussian

e.g. SiO2

n2 = 1.447, = 0.01,
NA = 0.205
0 = 1.3 m

single mode 2a < 4.86 m

if = 0.0025
single mode 2a < 9.72 m

Graded Index Fiber O

reduce modal dispersion
c0 minimum @ center
shortest travel, slowest velocity n1 n2 n
power low profile
r
p

n2 (r ) = n22 1 2
a ra

n = n2 @ r = 0 p=1 n2(r) linear
= n1 @ r = a p=2 n2(r) quadratic
p n2(r) step function
n22 n12
=
2n22

3.46 Photonic Materials and Devices Lecture 5: Waveguide DesignOptical Fiber and Planar Waveguides
Prof. Lionel C. Kimerling Page 4 of 5
 Lecture Notes

Number of Modes

p (step index)
for all other modes (least modal dispersion for
multimode)
V 2

a
v = 2 NA

Optimal profile

p=2 v g = c 2

V2
M=
4

3.46 Photonic Materials and Devices Lecture 5: Waveguide DesignOptical Fiber and Planar Waveguides
Prof. Lionel C. Kimerling Page 5 of 5