Calculation of bandwidth from index profiles of optical fibers. 1: Theory.

This paper describes a method for calculating the impulse response and bandwidth of multimode optical fibers from measured refractive-index profiles obtained either from the fiber itself or from its preform. The computational method is based on the WKB solution of the guided-mode problem. First, the pulse delay time of each mode is calculated. The different arrival times of impulses carried by the modes are then used to construct the shape of the impulse response curve whose Fourier transform may be used to predict the signal bandwidth of the multimode fiber. By omitting mode groups or weighting the power distribution among the modes, the influence of certain mode groups on pulse distortion can be studied separately. Dispersion of the host material and of one dopant can be taken into account. The method has been used to study the effects of deviations from the desired perfect index profile and the influence of a central dip. The practical value of the computer program is its ability to predict fiber performance from index measurements made on preforms even before the fiber is drawn.