Optical Media

The electromagnetic spectrum

The light used in optical fiber networks is one type of electromagnetic energy. When an electric charge moves back and forth, or accelerates, a type of energy called electromagnetic energy is produced. This energy in the form of waves can travel through a vacuum, the air, and through some materials like glass. An important property of any energy wave is the wavelength. Radio, microwaves, radar, visible light, x-rays, and gamma rays seem to be very different things. However, they are all types of electromagnetic energy. If all the types of electromagnetic waves are arranged in order from the longest wavelength down to the shortest wavelength, a continuum called the electromagnetic spectrum is created. The wavelength of an electromagnetic wave is determined by how frequently the electric charge that generates the wave moves back and forth. If the charge moves back and forth slowly, the wavelength it generates is a long wavelength. Visualize the movement of the electric charge as like that of a stick in a pool of water. If the stick is moved back and forth slowly, it will generate ripples in the water with a long wavelength between the tops of the ripples. If the stick is moved back and forth more rapidly, the ripples will have a shorter wavelength. Because electromagnetic waves are all generated in the same way, they share many of the same properties. They all travel at a rate of 300,000 kilometers per second (186,283 miles per second) through a vacuum. Human eyes were designed to only sense electromagnetic energy with wavelengths between 700 nanometers and 400 nanometers (nm). A nanometer is one billionth of a meter (0.000000001 meter) in length. Electromagnetic energy with wavelengths between 700 and 400 nm is called visible light. The longer wavelengths of light that are around 700 nm are seen as the color red. The shortest wavelengths that are around 400 nm appear as the color violet. This part of the electromagnetic spectrum is seen as the colors in a rainbow. Wavelengths that are not visible to the human eye are used to transmit data over optical fiber. These wavelengths are slightly longer than red light and are called infrared light. Infrared light is used in TV remote controls. The wavelength of the light in optical fiber is either 850 nm, 1310 nm, or 1550 nm. These wavelengths were selected because they travel through optical fiber better than other wavelengths.

Ray model of light

When electromagnetic waves travel out from a source, they travel in straight lines. These straight lines pointing out from the source are called rays.

Think of light rays as narrow beams of light like those produced by lasers. In the vacuum of empty space, light travels continuously in a straight line at 300,000 kilometers per second. However, light travels at different, slower speeds through other materials like air, water, and glass. When a light ray called the incident ray, crosses the boundary from one material to another, some of the light energy in the ray will be reflected back. That is why you can see yourself in window glass. The light that is reflected back is called the reflected ray.

The light energy in the incident ray that is not reflected will enter the glass. The entering ray will be bent at an angle from its original path. This ray is called the refracted ray. How much the incident light ray is bent depends on the angle at which the incident ray strikes the surface of the glass and the different rates of speed at which light travels through the two substances.

The bending of light rays at the boundary of two substances is the reason why light rays are able to travel through an optical fiber even if the fiber curves in a circle.

The optical density of the glass determines how much the rays of light in the glass bends. Optical density refers to how much a light ray slows down when it passes through a substance. The greater the optical density of a material, the more it slows light down from its speed in a vacuum. The ratio of the speed of light in a material to the speed of light in a vacuum is called the Index of Refraction. Therefore, the measure of the optical density of a material is the index of refraction of that material. A material with a large index of refraction is more optically dense and slows down more light than a material with a smaller index of refraction.

For a substance like glass, the Index of Refraction, or the optical density, can be made larger by adding chemicals to the glass. Making the glass very pure can make the index of refraction smaller. The next lessons will provide further information about reflection and refraction, and their relation to the design and function of optical fiber.

Reflection

When a ray of light (the incident ray) strikes the shiny surface of a flat piece of glass, some of the light energy in the ray is reflected. The angle between the incident ray and a line perpendicular to the surface of the glass at the point where the incident ray strikes the glass is called the angle of incidence. The perpendicular line is called the normal. It is not a light ray but a tool to allow the measurement of angles. The angle between the reflected ray and the normal is called the angle of reflection. The Law of Reflection states that the angle of reflection of a light ray is equal to the angle of incidence. In other words, the angle at which a light ray strikes a reflective surface determines the angle that the ray will reflect off the surface.
Refraction

When a light strikes the interface between two transparent materials, the light divides into two parts. Part of the light ray is reflected back into the first substance, with the angle of reflection equaling the angle of incidence. The remaining energy in the light ray crosses the interface and enters into the second substance.

If the incident ray strikes the glass surface at an exact 90-degree angle, the ray goes straight into the glass. The ray is not bent. However, if the incident ray is not at an exact 90-degree angle to the surface, then the transmitted ray that enters the glass is bent. The bending of the entering ray is called refraction. How much the ray is refracted depends on the index of refraction of the two transparent materials. If the light ray travels from a substance whose index of refraction is smaller, into a substance where the index of refraction is larger, the refracted ray is bent towards the normal. If the light ray travels from a substance where the index of refraction is larger into a substance where the index of refraction is smaller, the refracted ray is bent away from the normal.

Consider a light ray moving at an angle other than 90 degrees through the boundary between glass and a diamond. The glass has an index of refraction of about 1.523. The diamond has an index of refraction of about 2.419. Therefore, the ray that continues into the diamond will be bent towards the normal. When that light ray crosses the boundary between the diamond and the air at some angle other than 90 degrees, it will be bent away from the normal. The reason for this is that air has a lower index of refraction, about 1.000 than the index of refraction of the diamond.

Total internal reflection

A light ray that is being turned on and off to send data (1s and 0s) into an optical fiber must stay inside the fiber until it reaches the far end. The ray must not refract into the material wrapped around the outside of the fiber. The refraction would cause the loss of part of the light energy of the ray. A design must be achieved for the fiber that will make the outside surface of the fiber act like a mirror to the light ray moving through the fiber. If any light ray that tries to move out through the side of the fiber were reflected back into the fiber at an angle that sends it towards the far end of the fiber, this would be a good “pipe” or “wave guide” for the light waves.

The laws of reflection and refraction illustrate how to design a fiber that guides the light waves through the fiber with a minimum energy loss. The following two conditions must be met for the light rays in a fiber to be reflected back into the fiber without any loss due to refraction:

• The core of the optical fiber has to have a larger index of refraction (n) than the material that surrounds it. The material that surrounds the core of the fiber is called the cladding.
• The angle of incidence of the light ray is greater than the critical angle for the core and its cladding.

When both of these conditions are met, the entire incident light in the fiber is reflected back inside the fiber. This is called total internal reflection, which is the foundation upon which optical fiber is constructed. Total internal reflection causes the light rays in the fiber to bounce off the core-cladding boundary and continue its journey towards the far end of the fiber. The light will follow a zigzag path through the core of the fiber.

A fiber that meets the first condition can be easily created. In addition, the angle of incidence of the light rays that enter the core can be controlled. Restricting the following two factors controls the angle of incidence:

• The numerical aperture of the fiber – The numerical aperture of a core is the range of angles of incident light rays entering the fiber that will be completely reflected.
• Modes – The paths which a light ray can follow when traveling down a fiber.

By controlling both conditions, the fiber run will have total internal reflection. This gives a light wave guide that can be used for data communications.

Multimode fiber

The part of an optical fiber through which light rays travel is called the core of the fiber. Light rays can only enter the core if their angle is inside the numerical aperture of the fiber. Likewise, once the rays have entered the core of the fiber, there are a limited number of optical paths that a light ray can follow through the fiber. These optical paths are called modes. If the diameter of the core of the fiber is large enough so that there are many paths that light can take through the fiber, the fiber is called “multimode” fiber. Single-mode fiber has a much smaller core that only allows light rays to travel along one mode inside the fiber. Every fiber-optic cable used for networking consists of two glass fibers encased in separate sheaths. One fiber carries transmitted data from device A to device B. The second fiber carries data from device B to device A. The fibers are similar to two one-way streets going in opposite directions. This provides a full-duplex communication link. Just as copper twisted-pair uses separate wire pairs to transmit and receive, fiber-optic circuits use one fiber strand to transmit and one to receive. Typically, these two fiber cables will be in a single outer jacket until they reach the point at which connectors are attached. Until the connectors are attached, there is no need for twisting or shielding, because no light escapes when it is inside a fiber. This means there are no crosstalk issues with fiber. It is very common to see multiple fiber pairs encased in the same cable. This allows a single cable to be run between data closets, floors, or buildings. One cable can contain 2 to 48 or more separate fibers. With copper, one UTP cable would have to be pulled for each circuit. Fiber can carry many more bits per second and carry them farther than copper can. Usually, five parts make up each fiber-optic cable. The parts are the core, the cladding, a buffer, a strength material, and an outer jacket. The core is the light transmission element at the center of the optical fiber. All the light signals travel through the core. A core is typically glass made from a combination of silicon dioxide (silica) and other elements. Multimode uses a type of glass, called graded index glass for its core. This glass has a lower index of refraction towards the outer edge of the core. Therefore, the outer area of the core is less optically dense than the center and light can go faster in the outer part of the core. This design is used because a light ray following a mode that goes straight down the center of the core does not have as far to travel as a ray following a mode that bounces around in the fiber. All rays should arrive at the end of the fiber together. Then the receiver at the end of the fiber receives a strong flash of light rather than a long, dim pulse. Surrounding the core is the cladding. Cladding is also made of silica but with a lower index of refraction than the core. Light rays traveling through the fiber core reflect off this core-to-cladding interface as they move through the fiber by total internal reflection. Standard multimode fiber-optic cable is the most common type of fiber-optic cable used in LANs. A standard multimode fiber-optic cable uses an optical fiber with either a 62.5 or a 50-micron core and a 125-micron diameter cladding. This is commonly designated as 62.5/125 or 50/125 micron optical fiber. A micron is one millionth of a meter (1µ). Surrounding the cladding is a buffer material that is usually plastic. The buffer material helps shield the core and cladding from damage. There are two basic cable designs. They are the loose-tube and the tight-buffered cable designs. Most of the fiber used in LANs is tight-buffered multimode cable. Tight-buffered cables have the buffering material that surrounds the cladding in direct contact with the cladding. The most practical difference between the two designs is the applications for which they are used. Loose-tube cable is primarily used for outside-building installations, while tight-buffered cable is used inside buildings. The strength material surrounds the buffer, preventing the fiber cable from being stretched when installers pull it. The material used is often Kevlar, the same material used to produce bulletproof vests. The final element is the outer jacket. The outer jacket surrounds the cable to protect the fiber against abrasion, solvents, and other contaminants. The color of the outer jacket of multimode fiber is usually orange, but occasionally another color. Infrared Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) are two types of light source usually used with multimode fiber. Use one or the other. LEDs are a little cheaper to build and require somewhat less safety concerns than lasers. However, LEDs cannot transmit light over cable as far as the lasers. Multimode fiber (62.5/125) can carry data distances of up to 2000 meters (6,560 ft).

Single-mode fiber

Single-mode fiber consists of the same parts as multimode. The outer jacket of single-mode fiber is usually yellow. The major difference between multimode and single-mode fiber is that single-mode allows only one mode of light to propagate through the smaller, fiber-optic core. The single-mode core is eight to ten microns in diameter. Nine-micron cores are the most common. A 9/125 marking on the jacket of the single-mode fiber indicates that the core fiber has a diameter of 9 microns and the surrounding cladding is 125 microns in diameter.

An infrared laser is used as the light source in single-mode fiber. The ray of light it generates enters the core at a 90-degree angle. As a result, the data carrying light ray pulses in single-mode fiber are essentially transmitted in a straight line right down the middle of the core. This greatly increases both the speed and the distance that data can be transmitted.

Because of its design, single-mode fiber is capable of higher rates of data transmission (bandwidth) and greater cable run distances than multimode fiber. Single-mode fiber can carry LAN data up to 3000 meters. Multimode is only capable of carrying up to 2000 meters. Lasers and single-mode fibers are more expensive than LEDs and multimode fiber. Because of these characteristics, single-mode fiber is often used for inter-building connectivity.

Warning: The laser light used with single-mode has a longer wavelength than can be seen. The laser is so strong that it can seriously damage eyes. Never look at the near end of a fiber that is connected to a device at the far end. Never look into the transmit port on a NIC, switch, or router. Remember to keep protective covers over the ends of fiber and inserted into the fiber-optic ports of switches and routers. Be very careful.

Figure compares the relative sizes of the core and cladding for both types of fiber optic in different sectional views. The much smaller and more refined fiber core in single-mode fiber is the reason single-mode has a higher bandwidth and cable run distance than multimode fiber. However, it entails more manufacturing costs
Other optical components

Most of the data sent over a LAN is in the form of electrical signals. However, optical fiber links use light to send data. Something is needed to convert the electricity to light and at the other end of the fiber convert the light back to electricity. This means that a transmitter and a receiver are required.

The transmitter receives data to be transmitted from switches and routers. This data is in the form of electrical signals. The transmitter converts the electronic signals into their equivalent light pulses. There are two types of light sources used to encode and transmit the data through the cable:

• A light emitting diode (LED) producing infrared light with wavelengths of either 850nm or 1310 nm. These are used with multimode fiber in LANs. Lenses are used to focus the infrared light on the end of the fiber
• Light amplification by stimulated emission radiation (LASER) a light source producing a thin beam of intense infrared light usually with wavelengths of 1310nm or 1550 nm. Lasers are used with single-mode fiber over the longer distances involved in WANs or campus backbones. Extra care should be exercised to prevent eye injury

Each of these light sources can be lighted and darkened very quickly to send data (1s and 0s) at a high number of bits per second.

At the other end of the optical fiber from the transmitter is the receiver. The receiver functions something like the photoelectric cell in a solar powered calculator. When light strikes the receiver, it produces electricity. The first job of the receiver is to detect a light pulse that arrives from the fiber. Then the receiver converts the light pulse back into the original electrical signal that first entered the transmitter at the far end of the fiber. Now the signal is again in the form of voltage changes. The signal is ready to be sent over copper wire into any receiving electronic device such as a computer, switch, or router. The semiconductor devices that are usually used as receivers with fiber-optic links are called p-intrinsic-n diodes (PIN photodiodes).

PIN photodiodes are manufactured to be sensitive to 850, 1310, or 1550 nm of light that are generated by the transmitter at the far end of the fiber. When struck by a pulse of light at the proper wavelength, the PIN photodiode quickly produces an electric current of the proper voltage for the network. It instantly stops producing the voltage when no light strikes the PIN photodiode. This generates the voltage changes that represent the data 1s and 0s on a copper cable.

Connectors are attached to the fiber ends so that the fibers can be connected to the ports on the transmitter and receiver. The type of connector most commonly used with multimode fiber is the Subscriber Connector (SC connector). On single-mode fiber, the Straight Tip (ST) connector is frequently used.

In addition to the transmitters, receivers, connectors, and fibers that are always required on an optical network, repeaters and fiber patch panels are often seen.

Repeaters are optical amplifiers that receive attenuating light pulses traveling long distances and restore them to their original shapes, strengths, and timings. The restored signals can then be sent on along the journey to the receiver at the far end of the fiber.

Fiber patch panels similar to the patch panels used with copper cable. These panels increase the flexibility of an optical network by allowing quick changes to the connection of devices like switches or routers with various available fiber runs, or cable links
Signals and noise in optical fibers

Fiber-optic cable is not affected by the sources of external noise that cause problems on copper media because external light cannot enter the fiber except at the transmitter end. A buffer and an outer jacket that stops light from entering or leaving the cable cover the cladding. Furthermore, the transmission of light on one fiber in a cable does not generate interference that disturbs transmission on any other fiber. This means that fiber does not have the problem with crosstalk that copper media does. In fact, the quality of fiber-optic links is so good that the recent standards for gigabit and ten gigabit Ethernet specify transmission distances that far exceed the traditional two-kilometer reach of the original Ethernet. Fiber-optic transmission allows the Ethernet protocol to be used on Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) and Wide Area Networks (WANs). Although fiber is the best of all the transmission media at carrying large amounts of data over long distances, fiber is not without problems. When light travels through fiber, some of the light energy is lost. The farther a light signal travels through a fiber, the more the signal loses strength. This attenuation of the signal is due to several factors involving the nature of fiber itself. The most important factor is scattering. The scattering of light in a fiber is caused by microscopic non-uniformity (distortions) in the fiber that reflects and scatters some of the light energy. Absorption is another cause of light energy loss. When a light ray strikes some types of chemical impurities in a fiber, the impurities absorb part of the energy. This light energy is converted to a small amount of heat energy. Absorption makes the light signal a little dimmer. Another factor that causes attenuation of the light signal is manufacturing irregularities or roughness in the core-to-cladding boundary. Power is lost from the light signal because of the less than perfect total internal reflection in that rough area of the fiber. Any microscopic imperfections in the thickness or symmetry of the fiber will cut down on total internal reflection and the cladding will absorb some light energy. Dispersion of a light flash also limits transmission distances on a fiber. Dispersion is the technical term for the spreading of pulses of light as they travel down the fiber. Graded index multimode fiber is designed to compensate for the different distances the various modes of light have to travel in the large diameter core. Single-mode fiber does not have the problem of multiple paths that the light signal can follow. However, chromatic dispersion is a characteristic of both multimode and single-mode fiber. When wavelengths of light travel at slightly different speeds through glass than do other wavelengths, chromatic dispersion is caused. That is why a prism separates the wavelengths of light. Ideally, an LED or Laser light source would emit light of just one frequency. Then chromatic dispersion would not be a problem. Unfortunately, lasers, and especially LEDs generate a range of wavelengths so chromatic dispersion limits the distance that can be transmitted on a fiber. If a signal is transmitted too far, what started as a bright pulse of light energy will be spread out, separated, and dim when it reaches the receiver. The receiver will not be able to distinguish a one from a zero.

Installation, care, and testing of optical fiber

A major cause of too much attenuation in fiber-optic cable is improper installation. If the fiber is stretched or curved too tightly, it can cause tiny cracks in the core that will scatter the light rays. Bending the fiber in too tight a curve can change the incident angle of light rays striking the core-to-cladding boundary. Then the incident angle of the ray will become less than the critical angle for total internal reflection. Instead of reflecting around the bend, some light rays will refract into the cladding and be lost.

To prevent fiber bends that are too sharp, fiber is usually pulled through a type of installed pipe called interducting. The interducting is much stiffer than fiber and can not be bent so sharply that the fiber inside the interducting has too tight a curve. The interducting protects the fiber, makes it easier to pull the fiber, and ensures that the bending radius (curve limit) of the fiber is not exceeded.

When the fiber has been pulled, the ends of the fiber must be cleaved (cut) and properly polished to ensure that the ends are smooth. A microscope or test instrument with a built in magnifier is used to examine the end of the fiber and verify that it is properly polished and shaped. Then the connector is carefully attached to the fiber end. Improperly installed connectors, improper splices, or the splicing of two cables with different core sizes will dramatically reduce the strength of a light signal.

Once the fiber-optic cable and connectors have been installed, the connectors and the ends of the fibers must be kept spotlessly clean. The ends of the fibers should be covered with protective covers to prevent damage to the fiber ends. When these covers are removed prior to connecting the fiber to a port on a switch or a router, the fiber ends must be cleaned. Clean the fiber ends with lint free lens tissue moistened with pure isopropyl alcohol. The fiber ports on a switch or router should also be kept covered when not in use and cleaned with lens tissue and isopropyl alcohol before a connection is made. Dirty ends on a fiber will cause a big drop in the amount of light that reaches the receiver.

Scattering, absorption, dispersion, improper installation, and dirty fiber ends diminish the strength of the light signal and are referred to as fiber noise. Before using a fiber-optic cable, it must be tested to ensure that enough light actually reaches the receiver for it to detect the zeros and ones in the signal.

When a fiber-optic link is being planned, the amount of signal power loss that can be tolerated must be calculated. This is referred to as the optical link loss budget. Imagine a monthly financial budget. After all of the expenses are subtracted from initial income, enough money must be left to get through the month.

The decibel (dB) is the unit used to measure the amount of power loss. It tells what percent of the power that leaves the transmitter actually enters the receiver.

Testing fiber links is extremely important and records of the results of these tests must be kept. Several types of fiber-optic test equipment are used. Two of the most important instruments are Optical Loss Meters and Optical Time Domain Reflectometers (OTDRs).

These meters both test optical cable to ensure that the cable meets the TIA standards for fiber. They also test to verify that the link power loss does not fall below the optical link loss budget. OTDRs can provide much additional detailed diagnostic information about a fiber link. They can be used to trouble shoot a link when problems occur.

Cisco Systems, Inc.