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Module Code: COMS02H03

Final Examination; 2011/2012
Module Title
Optical Systems
Module Leader
Dr. Marwa Ragheb
Semester
Two; May 2012
Equipment allowed:
Scientific calculator



Instructions to Students

- Answer any Three Questions.
- The exam paper is Six Pages, including this page, with the following content:
4 pages for questions, 1 page for formulas.
- The allocation of marks is shown in brackets next to each question.
- Write your answers in the answer book provided, not on the exam papers.


This examination is TWO hours long (2 hrs).


COMS02H03 Optical Systems Final Exam May 2012
Page 2/6
Q1.

A.
I. Define responsivity and quantum efficiency of a photodetector. [6 marks]
II. Explain why photodiodes operate in photoconductive mode, i.e. with
the reverse bias.
[6 marks]
III. Explain the trade-off between the width of the photodetector area
and photodetectors quantum efficiency.
[6 marks]
IV. What would be the optimal value for the width depletion region in
terms of the absorption coefficient of the semiconductor that has
been used for photodetection area?
[3 marks]


B.
For wavelengths less than 1 m, the refractive index n satisfies a Sellmeier relation of the form

Where E is the photon energy, E
o
and E
d
material oscillator energy and dispersion energy parameters,
respectively. In SiO
2
glass, E
o
=13.4eV, and E
d
=14.7eV.

I. Draw the variation of n with wavelength. [9 marks]
II.
Show that, for wavelengths, between 0.2 and 1 m, the values of n
found from the Sellmeier relation are in good agreement with those
shown in Fig. Q1.
[4 marks]



[Total 34]

Fig. Q1

COMS02H03 Optical Systems Final Exam May 2012
Page 3/6
Q2.

A.
I. How many Mach-Zehnder interferometers do you need to construct a
four-channel wavelength multiplexer? Draw a schematic diagram.
[8 marks]
II. Give typical loss values in standard single mode fiber and identify
three communication windows.
[6 marks]


B.
Consider that a single mode fiber with silica core refractive index n
1
=1.458, and 8 km length, is
designed to operate at 1300 nm. When the mean optical power launched into a fiber is 100 W, the
mean optical power at the fiber output is 4 W.

I. Draw a design curve of the fractional refractive index versus the core
radius a.
[8 marks]
II.
Suppose the fiber we select from this curve has a 5 m core radius. Is
this fiber still single mode at 820nm? If not, how many modes exist?
[6 marks]
III. Determine the overall signal attenuation in dB. [3 marks]
IV. Determine the signal attenuation per kilometer for the fiber. [3 marks]


[Total 34]





COMS02H03 Optical Systems Final Exam May 2012
Page 4/6
Q3.

A.
Assume the fiber attenuation of a given fiber is 0.4 dB/km. and the minimum required input power is
0.5W at 50Mb/s for a given receiver.

I.
Find the minimum power budget for a transmission of 100km.
Assume there is a connector every 15km at a connector loss of
0.5dB each, and neglect coupling loss at the source and
photodetector.
[5 marks]
II.
Find and plot the attenuation-limited transmission distance versus
optical power for the conditions given in I. Assume the available
power budget at 50Mb/s is 50dB. When you plot the attenuation
limit, find the attenuation limit distance at B = 50Mb/s.
[8 marks]
III.
With the same conditions in I, if the light source at the transmitter
side has output power of 10mW, find the actual power budget at
50Mb/s. Is this good enough?
[3 marks]


B.
An InGaAsP LED emitting at a peak wavelength of 1310 nm has radiative and nonradiative
recombination times of 25 and 90 ns, respectively. Assume the injected minority carrier lifetime of an
LED is 5 ns and the refractive index of the light source material is 3.5. The drive current is 35 mA.


I.
Find the internal quantum efficiency and internal power level.
[4 marks]
II.
Find the power emitted from the device.
[4 marks]
III.
Plot the optical output power when the LED is modulated at
frequencies ranging from 20 to 100 MHz. What happens to the LED
output power at higher modulation frequencies?
[6 marks]
IV.
Find the 3-dB optical bandwidth and 3-dB electrical bandwidth.
[4 marks]
[Total 34]










COMS02H03 Optical Systems Final Exam May 2012
Page 5/6
Q4.

A.
Fig. Q4 shows the active volume of a semiconductor laser diode with end mirrors at z=0, z=L.
Measuring the I-P characteristics of this laser we found that it emits 1 mW at a current of 30 mA and
2.6 mW at a current of 40 mA, if the active volume has the following parameters:
Dimensions: d=200 nm, W= 5000 nm and L = 0.3 mm, Scattering losses = 8 cm
-1
, Refractive index
n=3.6, Spontaneous emission lifetime t=1 sec., find:

I. The threshold current density of the laser. [6 marks]
II. The number of electrons in the conduction band of the laser when
the current is 45 mA.
[4 marks]
III. The separation between longitudinal modes. [4 marks]
IV. The optical gain in the material at I = 40 mA [4 marks]


Fig. Q4


B.
Lasers are known as a perfect source for monochromatic optical waves, but in practice they produce
light-waves which their frequencies are very close to each other. A simple model to understand such a
traveling optical wave is to consider two sinusoidal waves with frequencies e-Ae and e+Ae. Their
wave vectors will be k-Ak and k+Ak.




I. What is the resultant optical wave? [6 marks]
II. What is the amplitude of the resultant wave? [2 marks]
III. Sketch a qualitative picture of the resultant wave. [4 marks]
IV. Find the speed of the resultant wave. [4 marks]
[Total 34]
COMS02H03 Optical Systems Final Exam May 2012
Page 6/6

Physical Constants:

m F
12
9
0
10 85418 . 8
36
10

= =
t
c
,
m H
6 7
0
10 25663 . 1 10 4

= = t
,
s m c
8
10 3 =

K J k
B
/ 10 38066 . 1
23
=
,
C q
19
10 60218 . 1

=
,
J eV
19
10 60218 . 1 1

=
,
s J h =
34
10 62617 . 6


Useful Formulas

2
2 mat
d n
D
c d

=

2
1
modal
1
( )
2
Ln L NA
c n c
t
A
~ ~


( )
2
1 2
1 2
4
) (
n n
n n
T
+
~ u

2 2
1 2
NA n n =


2 a
V NA
t

=


2
2 mat
d n
L
c d

o o

=

ext 2
1 1
1
( 1) n n
q ~
+

1 2
1 1
ln
2
th
g
L R R
o
| |
I = +
|
\ .

2
0
2
( )
( ) (0) exp
2
g g

o
(
=
(




2
m
mc
Ln
u =


2
e
B
n
k

A
=
0
2
( )
1 ( )
i
P
P e
et
=
+

2
1 2
1 2
|
|
.
|

\
|
+

= =
n n
n n
P
P
R
incident
reflected


2
1 2
2 2
1 2
2a a
T
a a
| |
=
|
+
\ .


( )
1 2
(2 ) (0) exp ( ) ( ) (2 ) I L I R R g h h L u o u ( = I



1
g
d dn
n n
d d
|

e

| |
= =
|
\ .

th
th
sp
n
J qd
t
=
th th
g J =


4
3
~
clad
P
P M



2 1 2
coupling ratio= ( ) + P P P



2 2
2 ( ) ( ) 2 4 / = + + +
noise p D L B L
i q I I M F M B qI B k TB R

F(M) = M
x



1/ 2
2 2q
2 2 2 2 2
2 sys tx rx
0
440 L
t t t D L
B

o
(
= + + +
(





in
10 N
out ,i
i
P
Excess loss 10log
P
| |
|
=
|
\ .