Experiment No.

(5) Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

Experiment No. (5)

Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

 Object:

To study the dispersion in optical fiber and its effect on data transmission
and maximum allowable bit rate.

 Theory:

Dispersion occurs when a pulse of light is spread out during transmission

on the fiber. A short pulse becomes longer and ultimately joins with the pulse
behind, making recovery of a reliable bit stream impossible.

Dispersion of the transmitted optical signal causes distortion for both digital
and analog transmission along optical fibers. When considering the major
implementation of optical fiber transmission, which involves some form of digital
modulation, then dispersion mechanisms within the fiber cause broadening of the
transmitted light pulses as they travel along the channel. The phenomenon is
illustrated in figure (1), where it may be observed that each pulse broadens and
overlaps with its neighbors. The effect is known as intersymbol interference (ISI).

However, signal dispersion alone limits the maximum possible bandwidth

attainable with a particular optical fiber to the point where individual symbols can
no longer be distinguished.

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Experiment No. (5) Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

1. Types of Dispersion

There are many kinds of dispersion, each of which works in a different way,
but the most important types are discussed below:

a) Intramodal Dispersion (Chromatic Dispersion):

Chromatic or intramodal dispersion may occur in all types of optical fiber and
results from the finite spectral line width of the optical source.
Both lasers and LEDs produce a range of optical wavelengths (a band of light)
rather than a single narrow wavelength. The fiber has different refractive index
characteristics at different wavelengths and therefore each wavelength will travel
at a different speed in the fiber. Thus, some wavelengths arrive before others. This
causes broadening of each transmitted mode and hence intramodal dispersion. The
delay differences may be caused by the dispersive properties of the waveguide
material (material dispersion) and guidance effects within the fiber structure
(waveguide dispersion).

i. Material Dispersion

Pulse broadening due to material dispersion results from the different group
velocities of the various spectral components launched into the fiber from the
optical source. It occurs when the phase velocity of a plane wave propagating in
the dielectric medium varies nonlinearly with wavelength, and a material is said
to exhibit material dispersion when the second differential of the refractive index
with respect to wavelength is not zero (i.e.d2n/dλ2 ≠ 0).

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Experiment No. (5) Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

ii. Waveguide Dispersion:

Waveguide dispersion is a very complex effect and is caused by the shape

and index profile of the fiber core. This results from the variation in group velocity
with wavelength for a particular mode. Considering the ray theory approach, it is
equivalent to the angle between the ray and the fiber axis varying with wavelength
which subsequently leads to a variation in the transmission times for the rays, and
hence dispersion. However, this can be controlled by careful design and, in fact;
waveguide dispersion can be used to counteract material dispersion as will be seen
later. For a single mode whose propagation constant is β, the fiber exhibits
waveguide dispersion when d2β/dλ2 ≠ 0.

b) Intermodal Dispersion (Modal Dispersion):

When using multimode fiber, the light is able to take many different paths or
“modes” as it travels within the fiber. The distance traveled by light in each mode
is different from the distance travelled in other modes. When a pulse is sent, parts
of that pulse (rays or quanta) take many different modes (usually all available
modes). Therefore, some components of the pulse will arrive before others. The
difference between the arrival time of light taking the fastest mode versus the
slowest obviously gets greater as the distance gets greater.

2. Dispersion in Single-Mode Fiber

Since modal dispersion cannot occur in single-mode fiber (as you only have
one mode), the major sources of dispersion are material dispersion and waveguide
dispersion.

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Experiment No. (5) Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

The total first-order dispersion parameter or the Group Velocity Dispersion

(GVD) of a single-mode fiber, DT, is given by the derivative of the specific group
delay with respect to the vacuum wavelength λ as:

dτg
DT = dλ

In common with the material dispersion parameter, it is usually expressed

in units of picoseconds of dispersion per nanometer of spectral width per
kilometer of propagation distance (ps nm−1 km−1). When the variable λ is replaced
by ω, then the total dispersion parameter becomes:

ωd2 𝛽
DT = λdω2

However, the final expression may be separated into three composite

dispersion components in such a way that one of the effects dominates each term.
The dominating effects are as follows:

1. The material dispersion parameter DM.

2. The waveguide dispersion parameter DW.
3. A profile dispersion parameter DP.

Although material and waveguide dispersion tend to be dominant in

single-mode fibers, the composite profile should not be ignored. However, the
profile dispersion parameter DP can be quite small (e.g. less than 0.5
(ps nm−1 km−1), especially at long wavelengths, and hence is often neglected in
rough estimates of total dispersion within single-mode fibers.

Strictly speaking, in single-mode fiber with a power-law refractive index

profile the composite dispersion terms should be employed. Nevertheless, it is

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Experiment No. (5) Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

useful to consider the total first-order dispersion DT in a practical single-mode

fiber as comprising:

DT = DM + DW + DP (ps nm−1 km−1)

The variation of the chromatic dispersion with wavelength is usually

characterized by the second-order dispersion parameter or dispersion slope S,
which may be written as
dDT
S=
dλ

The good news here is that these two forms of dispersion (material and
waveguide dispersion) have opposite signs, so they tend to counteract one another.
Figure (2) shows the wavelength dependent dispersion characteristics of
“standard” single-mode fiber. Notice that the two forms of dispersion cancel one
another at a wavelength at 1310 nm. Thus if the signal is sent at 1310 nm
dispersion will be minimized.

 Procedure:
1. Connect the circuit shown in figure (3) using optisystem.
2. Set project parameters as following:
Bit rate = 2.5 G bit/sec.
Sequence Length = 2 bits.
Samples per bit = 128.
3. For the CW laser, set:
Linewidth = 1 MHz.
Power = 0 dBm.
Wavelength = 1550 nm.
4. For the optical fiber, set:
Attenuation effect = No.
Group Velocity Dispersion = Yes.
Third-Order Dispersion = Yes.

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Experiment No. (5) Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

Dispersion = 16 ps/nm/km.
Dispersion Slope = 0.075 ps/nm2/km
Self-Phase Modulation = No.
Fiber Length = 0 km.
5. Draw the waveforms of optical time domain visualizer_1 and optical time
domain visualizer_2.
6. Now, set the length of fiber to 20 km, and 70 km.
7. Draw the output waveform of the fiber (optical time domain visualizer_1).
8. Set Bit rate to 10 G bit/sec, and repeat step 6, and 7.

9. Connect the circuit shown in figure (4) using optisystem.

10. Set project parameters as following:
Bit rate = 10 G bit/sec.
Sequence Length = 128 bits.
Samples per bit = 128.
11. For the CW laser, set:
Linewidth = 1MHz.
Power = 0 dBm.
12. For the optical fiber, set:
User define reference wavelength = No.
Attenuation effect = No.
Group Velocity Dispersion = Yes.
Third-Order Dispersion = Yes.
Dispersion data type = from file.
Dispersion file name = C:\Program Files\Optiwave Software\OptiSystem 7
\samples\Fibers\ Optical fiber data SMF-28_Dispersion.txt
Self-Phase Modulation = No.
Fiber Length = 50 km.
13. For the photo detector PIN, set
Add signal-ASE noise = No.
Add ASE-ASE noise = No.
Add thermal noise = No.
Add shot noise = No.
14. Vary the wavelength of CW laser from 1400 nm to 1600 nm in step of
25 nm.
15. Measure the value of Q-factor and BER using eye pattern analyzer.

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Experiment No. (5) Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

 Graph:
1. Draw the Q-factor versus wavelength.
2. State the values of Dispersion for these wavelength values.

 Discussion:
1. Explain the reasons for pulse broadening due to material dispersion in
optical fibers.
2. Describe the mechanism of intermodal dispersion in a multimode step
index fiber.
3. Discuss dispersion mechanisms with regard to single-mode fibers
indicating the dominating effects.
4. Describe how intramodal dispersion may be minimized within the
single-mode region.
5. Describe the phenomenon of modal noise in optical fibers and suggest how
it can be avoided.

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Experiment No. (5) Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

Figure (1) An illustration using the digital bit pattern 1011 of the broadening of light pulses as
they are transmitted along a fiber: (a) fiber input; (b) fiber output at a distance L1; (c) fiber
output at a distance L2 > L1.

Figure (2) the pulse dispersion as a function of wavelength in 11 km single-mode fiber showing
the major contributing dispersion mechanisms (dashed and dotted curves) and the overall
dispersion (solid curve).

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Experiment No. (5) Study of Dispersion in Optical Fiber Communication System

Figure (3) Optical fiber system (1) Using optisystem

Figure (4) Optical fiber system (2) Using optisystem

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