Name: 1

ECE 5411 - Optical Communication Systems

Midterm Exam III

You have until approximately 1:45 pm to work this exam. Please pay attention to units and
the reasonableness of your answers. The exam is worth 80 points.
Useful relations: h = 6.6261034 Js, kB = 1.3811023 J/K, temperature in Kelvin=Celcius+273.15,
q = 1.602 1019 Coul, and W = A2 .

Problem 1 (20 pts)

If you have a laser diode with a relative intensity noise (RIN) parameter of -140 dB/Hz,
calculate the signal to noise ratio and noise power produced at a receiver when
a) the receiver has a detection bandwidth of 100 MHz and the received power is 25 W .
The SNR can be calculated by integrating the relative intensity noise across the receiver band-
width. You first should convert RIN to real units, so that RIN = 1014 /Hz,
Z
rI2 = RIN (f )df RIN f = 1014 108 = 106 .

The relationship between SNR and rI is

s
1
SN R = = 103 .
rI2
Therefore, the SNR at the receiver is 30 dB. The noise power is then the average signal power
divided by SNR, which works out to be
Prec 25 W
PI = = = 25 nW .
SN R 1000
Note that this represents the optical noise power. You dont have enough information to calculate
electrical noise power in the reciever (you need the responsivity).
b) the receiver has a detection bandwidth of 2.5 GHz and the received power is 100 W. In these
calculations, neglect thermal noise and shot noise.
Repeating the same as above,

rI2 = RIN f = 1014 2.5 109 = 2.5 105 .

The relationship between SNR and rI is

s
1
SN R = = 200.
rI2
Therefore, the SNR at the receiver is 23 dB. The noise power is then
Prec 100 W
PI = = = 500 nW .
SN R 200
Name: 2

Problem 2 (30 pts)

A = 1.31 m communications system is to be operated at B=2.5 Gb/sec.
a) Calculate the receiver sensitivity for an InGaAs pin receiver with =70% quantum efficiency,
bandwidth f = 0.7B, load resistance RL = 500 , and electronic amplifier noise figure Fn =4.5 dB.
Assume that the receiver is at room temperature and the dark current Id = 0.
We first convert quantum efficiency to responsivity,
0.7 1.31
= = = 0.740 A/W.
1.24 1.24
The electronic amplifier noise figure is Fn = 2.82. Now, we need to calculate the thermal noise
term,
! !
4kB T 4 1.381 1023 300
T2 = Fn f = 2.82 1.75 109 = 1.6 1013 A2 .
RL 500

The receiver sensitivity is

Q T
 
Prec = qFA Qf + ,
M
where for this problem, with a pin photodetector, FA = M = 1. Now,
6  
Prec = 1.602 1019 6 1.75 109 + 1.6 1013 = 3.26 W.
0.74
This can also be written Prec = 24.9 dBm.
b) What is the loss limited distance for average launched power Ptr =7 dBm and fiber attenuation
0.3 dB/km?
With a launch power of 7 dBm and a receiver sensitivity of -24.9 dBm, there can be a total
link loss of 31.9 dB. Given a fiber loss of 0.3 dB/km, the maximum length of fiber is
31.9
Lf iber = = 106.3 km.
0.3

c) If you were to switch to an APD photodetector with FA = 1.7 and gain M = 15, what is the
receiver sensitivity? What is the loss-limited distance now?
The thermal noise doesnt change, but we now have to include M and FA in the receiver
sensitivity equation,
!
6 9 1.6 1013
Prec = 1.602 10 19
1.7 6 1.75 10 + = 239 nW = 36.2 dBm.
0.74 15

Now, the loss-limited distance is 144 km.

Name: 3

Problem 3 (30 pts)

A 200 km, 2.5 Gb/s communication link consists of four spans and three optical amplifiers.
The transmitter power is 0 dBm and the fiber loss is 0.25 dB/km. Assume the receiver bandwidth
f = 0.7B and responsivity of 0.8 A/W. The operating wavelength is 1.55 m.
a) What is the span loss? What is the optimal amplifier gain for maximum SNR?
If you have four spans, then the span loss

200 km 0.25 dB/km

L= = 12.5 dB.
4
The optimal amplifier gain is such that the gain exactly compensates for the loss of th preceding
span, so that G = 12.5 dB.
b) If each amplifier has a 4 dB noise figure, then what is the SNR at the output of the last
amplifier?
Since G=L in this problem, the SNR out can be calculated from
Pin
(SN R)out = ,
2N Fn hf

using Fn = 2.51, h = hc/ = 1.28 1019 J, and Pin = Ptr L = 12.5 dBm,

5.62 105
(SN R)out = = 1.66 104 = 42.2 dB
2 3 2.51 1.28 1019 1.75 109

c) What is the receiver sensitivity (Q=6)? Will the system work as designed?
Since G=L, we can directly calculate the effective noise figure of the cascade as

Fn |ef f = N Fn = 7.53,

which we use in the expression

q Fn |ef f f  2  1.602 1019 7.53 1.75 109

Prec = Q + Q 2 = 44.5 = 117 nW = 39.3 dBm.
0.8
Given that the transmitter power is 0 dBm, and the uncompensated loss of the final span
is 12.5 dB, the power at the receiver is -12.5 dBm, which is much larger than the calculated
Prec = 39.3 dBm.