PROBLEMS CHAPTER 2

2-1.

A typical sheet of paper is 0.003 in. thick. How many wavelengths of 820-nm light
(which is widely used in optical fiber systems) will fit into this distance? How does
this compare to a 50-m-diameter optical fiber?

2-2.

A wave is specified by y = 8 cos 2(2t 0.8 z), where y is expressed in micrometers

and the propagation constant is given in m-1. Find (a) the amplitude, (b) the
wavelength, (c) the angular frequency. and (d) the displacement at time t = 0 and z = 4
m.

2-3.

What are the energies in electron volts (eV) of light having wavelengths of 820 nm
and 1.3 m? What are the values of the propagation constant k of these two
wavelengths?

2-4.

Consider the following two waves X1 and X2 having the same frequency but
different amplitudes ai and phase i :
X1 = a1 cos(t 1)
X2 = a2 cos(t 2)
According to the principle of superposition, the resultant wave X is simply the sum of
X1 and X2. Show that X can be written in the form
X = A cos(t )
Where
2
2
A2 = a1 +a 2+2 a 1 a2 +cos ( 1 2 )

And
tan =
2-5.

a1 sin 1 +a 2 sin 2
a1 cos 1 +a 2 cos 2

Elliptically polarized light can be represented by the two orthogonal waves given by
Eqs. (2-2) and (2-3). Show that elimination of the (t kz) dependence between them
yields
Ex 2 E y 2
E E
+
2 x y cos =sin 2
E0 x
E0 y
E0 x E 0 y

( )( )

Which is the equation of an ellipse making an angle with the x axis, where is
given by Eq. (2-8).

2-6.

Light traveling in air strikes a glass plate at an angle 1 = 330, where 1 is measured
between the incoming ray and the glass surface. Upon striking the glass, part of the
beam is reflected and part is refracted. If the refracted and reflected beams make an
angle of 900 with each other, what is the refractive index of the glass? What is the
critical angle for this glass?

2-7.

A point source of light is 12 cm below the surface of a large body of water ( n = 1.33).
What is the radius of the largest circle on the water surface through which the light
can emerge?

2-8.

A 450 -450 -900 prism is immersed in alcohol (n = 1.45). What is the minimum index
of refraction the prism must have if a ray incident normally on one of the short faces
is to be totally reflected at the long face of the prism?

2-9.

Calculate the numerical aperture of a step-index fiber having n1 = 1.48 and n2 = 1.46.
What is the maximum entrance angle 0,max for this fiber if the outer medium is air
with n = 1?

2-10. Derive the approximation on the right-hand side of Eq. (2-23).

2-11. (a) Verify the expressions for the various phase changes that are used to derive Eq. (226).
(b) Show that, for the ray that propagetes at the critical angle in Fig. 2-13,the integer
M in Eq. (2-26) satisfies the condition.
2

2 n1 d
M=

1 /2

( n21n22 )

2-12. Assume the field of an electromagnetic wave are of the form

E(x,t) = e1E0 exp[j( t k. x )]
B(x,t) = e2B0 exp[j( t k. x )]
Where e1 and e2 are two constant unit vectors with an unspecified orientation.
(a)

(b)

Using Maxwells divergence equations, show that E and B are both

perpendicular to the direction of propagation k. (Such a wave is called a
transverse wave.)
From Maxwells curl equations show that
e2 =

k x e1
k x e1
=
k
B0 / E 0

which show that (e1,e2,k) form a set of orthogonal vectors and that E and B are
in phase.
2-13. Show that Maxwells equations are satisfied by the solution
Ex = A sin (t + kz) Ey = 0

Hx = 0

Hy = A

Ez = 0

sin(t +k)

Hz = 0

2-14. Derive Eqs. (2-35a) to (2-35d) from Eqs. (2-33) and (2-34). Show that they lead to
Eqs. (2-36) and (2-37).
2-15. Evaluate the determinant given by Eq. (2-53) and show that it yields Eq. (2-54).
2-16. Show that for v = 0 Eq. (2-55b) corresponds to TE0m modes (Ez = 0) and that Eq. (256b) corresponds to TM0m modes (Hz = 0).
2-17. Verify that

k1 k1

when < 1, where k1 and k2 are the core and cladding

propagation constants, respectively, as defined in Eq. (2-46).

2-18. (a)

Using the recurrence relations for

J 'v

and

K 'v

given in App.C, show that

Eqs.

(b)

(2-63) and (2-64a) result for the positive and negative signs, respectively, in
Eq. (2-62).
Show that Eq.(2-64 a) can be rewritten as Eq. (2-64b).

2-19. Replot Fig. 2-16 for J0(x) and J1(x). On the resulting graph, indicate the range of
values of x for the lower-order LP1m modes and the exact lower-order HE1m, TE1m, and
TM0m modes.
2-20. Determine the normalized frequency at 0.82 m for a step-index fiber having a 25-m
core radius, n1 = 1.48, and n2 = 1.46. How many modes propagate in this fiber at 0.82
m? How many modes propagate at a wavelength of 1.3 m? What percentage of the
optical power flows in the caldding in each case?
2-21. Find the core radius necessary for single-mode operation at 820 nm of a step-index
fiber with n1 = 1.480 and n2 = 1.478. What is the numerical aperture and maximum
acceptance angle of this fiber?
2-22. A manufacturer wishes to make a silica-core, step-index fiber with V = 75 and a
numerical aperture NA = 0.30 to be used at 820 nm. If n1 = 1.458, what should the
core size and cladding index be?

2-23. Draw a design curve of the fractional refractive index difference versus the core
radius a for a silica-core (n1 = 1.458), single-mode fiber to operate at 1300 nm.
Suppose the fiber we select from this curve has a 5-m core radius. Is this fiber still
single-mode at 820 nm? Which modes exist in the fiber at 820 nm?
2-24. Using the following approximation for W0 due to Marcuse99
W0 = a (0.65 + 1.619V-3/2 + 2.879V-6)
Evaluate and plot E(r)/E0 with r ranging from 0 to 3 for values of V = 1.0, 1.4, 1.8,
2.2, 2.6, and 3.0
2-25. Commonly available single-mode fibers have beat lengths in the range 10 cm < Lp < 2
m. What range of refractive index differences does this correspond to for = 1300
nm?
2-26. Plot the refractive-index profiles from n1 to n2 as a function of radial distance r a for
graded-index fibers that have values of 1, 2, 4, 8, and (step index). Assume the
fibers have a 25-m core radius, n1 = 1.48, and = 0.01.
2-27. Verify the steps leading from Eq. (2-82) to Eq. (2-86).
2-28. Show that Eq. (2-94) result from evaluating the integral over v in Eq. (2-93).
2-29. Calculate the number of modes at 820 nm and 1.3 m in a graded-index fiber having a
parabolic-index profile (a = 2), a 25-m core radius, n1 = 1.48, and n2 = 1.46. How
does this compare to a step-index fiber?
2-30. Calculate the numerical apertures of : (a) a plastic step-index fiber having a core
refractive index of n1 = 1.60 and a cladding index n2 = 1.49; (b) a step-index fiber
having a silica core (n1 = 1.458) and a silicone resin cladding (n2 = 1.405).
2-31. When a preform is draw into a fiber, the principle of conservation of mass must be
satisfied under steady-state drawing conditions. Show that for a solid rod preform this
a represented by the expression
s=S

D
d

( )

Where D and d are the preform and fiber diameter, and S and s are the preform feed
and fiber-draw speeds, respectively. A typical drawing speed is 1.2 m/s for a 125 m
outer-diameter fiber. What is the preform feed rate in cm/ min for a 9- mm-diameter
preform?
2-32. A silica tube with inside and outside radii of 3 and 4 mm, respectively, is to have a
certain thickness of glass deposited on the inner surface. What should the thickness of

this glass deposition be if a fiber having a core diameter of 50 m and an outer

cladding diameter of 125 m is to be drawn from this preform?
2-33. (a)
(b)

The density of fused silica is 2.6 g/cm3. How many grams are needed for a 1km-long 50-m-dimater fiber core?
If the core material is to be deposited inside of glass tube at a 0.5-g/min
deposition rate, how long does it make the preform for this fiber?

2-34. During fabrication of optical fibers, dust particles incorporated into the fiber surface
are prime examples of surface flaws which can lead to reduced fiber strength. What
size dust particles are tolerable if a glass fiber having a 20-N/ mm 3/2 stress intensity
factor is to withstand a 700-MN/ m2 stress?
2-35. Static fatigue in a glass fiber refers to the condition where a fiber is stressed to a level
a, which is much less than the fracture stress associated with the weakest flaw.
Initially the fiber will not fail but, with time, cracks in the fiber will grow as a result
of chemical erosion at the crack tip. One model for the growth rate af a crack of depth
X assumes a relation of the form given in Eq. (2-102).
(a)

Using this equation, show that the time required for a crack of initial depth Xi
to grow to its failure size Xf is given by

t=

(b)

X
2

( b2 ) A ( Y )b

(2-b)/2

Xf(2-b)/2)

For long, static fatigue times (on the order of 20 yr), Ki2-b < Kf2-b for large value
of b. Show that under this condition the failure time is
t=

2 K 2b
i
( b2 ) A 2 Y 2

2-36. Derive Eq. (2-106) by starting with Eq. (2-102).

2-37. Derive Eq. (2-111) by using the expressions given in Eqs. (2-108) and (2-109) for the
number of flaws per unit length failing in a time t. Verify the relationship given in Eq.
(2-112).
2-38. Consider two similar fiber samples of lengths L1 and L2 subjected to stress levels of 1
and 2, respectively. If 1c and 2c are the corresponding fast-fracture stress levels for
equal failure probability, show that
1 c L2
=
2 c L1

1/ m

( )

From Fig. 2-35 estimate the value of m for a 10-percent failure probability of these
particular ethyene-vinyl-acetate-coated fibers.