Step Index Fiber
The transmission speed of optical waveguides is superior to microwave waveguides, because optical devices have a much higher operating frequency than microwaves, enabling a far higher bandwidth.One of the winning devices has been the single mode fiber, having a step index profile with a higher refractive index in the centre core, and a lower index in the outer cladding. Numerical software is playing an important role in the design of single mode waveguides and fibers. For a fiber cross-section, even the most simple shape is difficult and cumbersome to deal with analytically. A circular step index waveguide is a basic shape where benchmark results are available.
This example is a model of a single step-index waveguide made of silica glass. The inner core is made of pure silica glass with refractive index n1 = 1.4457 and the cladding is doped, with a refractive index of n2 = 1.4378. These values are valid for free-space wavelengths of 1.55 μm. The radius of the cladding is chosen to be large enough so that the field of confined modes is zero at the exterior boundaries.
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Surface plot of the z-component of the Electric Field. The height represents the time average of the Power Flow. |
Engineering Fields
- Photonics & Optics
Application Areas
- Optical Systems & Photonics
- RF Systems