Fiber Optic Tutorials

This is a continuation from the previous tutorial - single-mode fibers for communications.   In the previous tutorial we developed the classical electron oscillator model for an atomic transition, and showed how it could lead to quantum-mechanically correct expressions for the equation of motion and for the resonant susceptibility on a single atomic transition in a real quantum atom. In this tutorial we continue this discussion to show how, with some simple extensions, this same purely classical model can explain even the most complex quantum-mechanical aspects of real atomic transitions. We also give some typical numerical values and experimental examples of these...

This is a continuation from the previous tutorial - Glan-type prisms.   1. Introduction System performance can be maximized and total system cost savings can be realized by choosing an optical fiber design optimized for a particular system application. The cabled optical fiber that forms the backbone of the physical layer is one part of an optical transmission line that also comprises amplifiers and dispersion compensation modules (DCMs). The designs of the amplifier, DCM, and cabled transmission fiber are not mutually independent, and an integrated view of the transmission line design is necessary to optimize performance and drive cost out...

This is a continuation from the previous tutorial - prism polarizers. Most prisms used at the present time are of the Glan type. Although they require considerably more calcite than Nicol types of comparable size, they are optically superior in several ways. Since the optic axis is perpendicular to the prism axis, the index of the extraordinary ray differs by a maximum amount from that of the ordinary ray. Thus, a wider field angle or a smaller L/A ratio is possible than with Nicol types. The light is nearly uniformly polarized over the field; it is not for Nicol types....

This is a continuation from the previous tutorial - reflecting and catadioptric afocal lenses.   Double Refraction in Calcite Although many minerals, specifically those which do not have a cubic crystal structure, are doubly refracting, nearly all polarizing prisms used in the visible, near-ultraviolet, and near-infrared regions of the spectrum are made from optical calcite, which exhibits strong birefringence over a wide wavelength range. Polarizing prisms made from other birefringent crystals are used primarily in the ultraviolet and infrared at wavelengths for which calcite is opaque. Next to quartz, calcite is the most widely distributed of all minerals and usually...

This is a continuation from the previous tutorial - stimulated transitions in the classical oscillator model.   Afocal lenses can be designed with powered mirrors or combinations of mirrors and refractors.  Several such designs have been developed in recent years for use in the photolithography of microcircuits. All-reflecting afocal lenses are classified here according to the number of powered mirrors they contain. They will be reviewed in order of increasing complexity, followed by a discussion of catadioptric afocal systems.   Two-powered-mirror Afocal Lenses The simplest reflecting afocal lenses are the variants of the galilean and keplerian telescopes shown in Fig....