Mumbai University > Electronics and Telecommunication > Sem7 > Optical Communication and Networks

Marks: 5M

Year: May 2014

• Optical waveguide is a physical structure that guides electromagnetic waves in the optical spectrum. When we consider light as electromagnetic radiation, optical fiber is always considered as a waveguide.

• The transmission properties of optical waveguide are decided by its structural characteristics. The structure basically establishes the information carrying capacity of the fiber and also the response of waveguide to environmental perturbations.

• An optical fiber is a circular cross-section dielectric waveguide that operates at optical frequency $({10}^{12}-(10)^{15}$ hz). It is commonly made from silica glass.

• The optical waveguide differ from electrical waveguide in following ways:

  • Electrical waveguide can have rectangular or circular shape, but optical fiber always has circular shape.

  • Electrical waveguides carry signals in as current or voltage, but optical waveguides carry signals as light waves.

  • The electrical waveguides are hollow in nature, but the optical waveguide are solid.

  • In case of optical fiber it gives hybrid modes due to coupling of field at the core-cladding model, but in case of rectangular waveguides hybrid modes are not present.