Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Design and Fabrication of an Optical Fiber Made of Water
Published on: November 8, 2018
Calculation of bandwidth from index profiles of optical fibers. 1: Theory
Abstract:
This paper describes a method for calculating the impulse response and bandwidth of multimode optical fibers from measured refractive-index profiles obtained either from the fiber itself or from its preform. The computational method is based on the WKB solution of the guided-mode problem. First, the pulse delay time of each mode is calculated. The different arrival times of impulses carried by the modes are then used to construct the shape of the impulse response curve whose Fourier transform may be used to predict the signal bandwidth of the multimode fiber. By omitting mode groups or weighting the power distribution among the modes, the influence of certain mode groups on pulse distortion can be studied separately. Dispersion of the host material and of one dopant can be taken into account. The method has been used to study the effects of deviations from the desired perfect index profile and the influence of a central dip. The practical value of the computer program is its ability to predict fiber performance from index measurements made on preforms even before the fiber is drawn.
Related Concept Videos
Propagation of Waves
Consider a scenario where a wave propagates from a string of low linear mass density to a string of high linear mass density. In such a case, the reflected wave is out of phase with respect to the incident wave, however the...
Propagation Speed of Electromagnetic Waves
Lossless Lines
Transmission Line Design Considerations
Bandpass Sampling
A bandpass signal has a spectrum with a lower frequency limit, denoted as ω1, and an upper frequency limit, denoted as ω2. The spectrum...
Transmission-Line Differential Equations
Line Section Model
A circuit representing a line section of length Δx helps in understanding the transmission line parameters. The voltage V(x) and current i(x) are measured from the...
