Chapter 5

Laser-Fiber Connection
 Content

Launching optical power into a fiber

Fiber-to-Fiber coupling
Fiber Splicing and connectors
 Coupling Efficiency

power coupled into the fiber PF

[5-1]

power emitted from the sourse Ps

Ps PF
Source Optical Fiber
 Radiance (Brightness) of the source

B= Optical power radiated from a unit area of the source into a

unit solid angle [watts/(square centimeter per stradian)]
 Surface emitting LEDs have a Lambertian pattern:

B( , ) B0 cos [5-2]
Edge emitting LEDs and laser diodes radiation pattern

1 sin cos
2 2
[5-3]

B( , ) B0 cos B0 cos
T L

For edge emitting LEDs, L=1

 Power Coupled from source to the fiber

As and s : area and solid emission angle of the source

PF B( As , s )d s dAs
A f and f : area and Af
f [5-4]
solid acceptance angle of fiber rm 2
2 0 max
B( , ) sin dd d s rdr
0 0 0 0
 Power coupled from LED to the Fiber
0 max
rs 2

P 2B0 cos sin d d s rdr
0 0
0
rs 2
B0 0 max d s rdr
sin 2

0 0
rs 2 2

B0 NA d rdr
s
0 0

PLED,step rs B0 ( NA) 2 rs B0 n1
2 2 2 2 2 2
[5-5]
 Power coupling from LED to step-index fiber

Total optical power from LED:

2 / 2
Ps As
0 0
B( , ) sin dd

/2
Ps rs 2B0
2 2 2
cos sin d rs B0 [5-6]
0

Ps ( NA) 2 if rs a

PLED,step a 2 [5-7]

s P ( NA) 2
if rs a
rs
Equilibrium Numerical Aperture
Examples of possible lensing schemes used to improve optical source-to-fiber coupling
efficiency
Laser diode to Fiber Coupling
 Fiber-to-Fiber Joint

Fiber-to-Fiber coupling loss:

LF [dB] 10 log F [5-8]

Low loss fiber-fiber joints are either:

1- Splice (permanent bond)
2- Connector (demountable connection)
Different modal distribution of the optical beam emerging from a fiber lead to different degrees of
coupling loss. a) when all modes are equally excited, the output beam fills the entire output NA.
b) for a steady state modal distribution, only the equilibrium NA is filled by the output beam.
 Mechanical misalignment losses

Lateral (axial) misalignment loss is a dominant

Mechanical loss.

1/ 2
d d
2
Acomm 2 d
F ,step arccos 1 [5-9]
a 2
2a a 2a
 Longitudinal offset effect

Losses due to differences in the geometry and waveguide characteristics

of the fibers
aR
LF (a) 10 log( ) for a R a E
aE [5-10]
NA R
LF (a) 20 log( ) for NA R NA E
NA E
E & R subscripts refer to emitting and receiving fibers.
Experimental comparison of Loss as a function
of mechanical misalignment
Fiber end face

Fiber end defects

Fiber splicing

Fusion Splicing
V-groove optical fiber splicing
 Optical Fiber Connectors
Some of the principal requirements of a good connector design are as
follows:
1- low coupling losses
2- Interchangeability
3- Ease of assembly
4- Low environmental sensitivity
5- Low-cost and reliable construction
6- Ease of connection
Connector Return Loss