Reduction of modal and chromatic material dispersion in a multimode optical fiber

TLDR: In this article, a technique for reducing chromatic material dispersion in a multimode optical fiber is described. But the method is not suitable for the case of optical fiber-bundle optical communications.

Abstract: Modal dispersion and chromatic material dispersion in a multimode optical fiber is reduced by feeding the rays of the light beam into the end of the optical fiber the angle of each ray relative to the axis of the fiber varied in accordance with the wavelength of the ray. The shortest ray is fed at a zero angle and the longest wavelength at angle of φ max. φ max. is defined by the equation ##EQU1## This invention relates to the reduction of both modal and chromatic material dispersion in a multimode optical fibre. Multimode guides are currently used in fibre-bundle optical communications and will also appear in the next generation of individual-fibre systems. Their 50 to 100μm diameter cores are compatible with multimode LED sources and simple connecting and tapping techniques. Unfortunately, their information carrying capacity is limited by the variation of signal group velocity both with mode number and with light wavelength; this presents a serious limitation with large numerical aperture fibres and broadband sources. Prior art in this field has concentrated on gradient-index optical fibres to approximately equalize all ray paths and hence reduce mode dispersion. However, these require fabrication procedures more complex than for step-index guides, are capable of accepting only about half as much light from an LED and neccessitate twice the curvature radius in bends. Source collimation to excite only low order modes can reduce mode dispersion. Differential mode attentuation reducing the role of higher order modes and intermodal coupling tending to average the resultant modal velocity are both effective, but these processes are inherently lossy. All the above methods reduce modal but not chromatic material dispersion. A technique for reducing chromatic material dispersion is disclosed in copending application, Ser. No. 591,498 filed June 30, 1975 in the name of the present assignee, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,988,614. The present invention provides for the suitable alteration of the angular light distribution entering the fibre so as to oppose the modal and chromatic effects, thereby achieving a substantial reduction in the net dispersive pulse broadening.