Nonlinear Effects in

Optical Fibers
Prof. G. Aarthi
Asst. Professor (SG)
SENSE

Introduction
The terms linear and nonlinear in optics, mean intensity
(power)independent and intensity-dependent phenomena
respectively.
Nonlinear effects in optical fibers occur due to
change in the refractive index of the medium with optical
intensity and
Inelastic scattering phenomenon.(give optical gain but
with a shift in frequency, thus contributing to attenuation
for light transmission at a specific wavelength)

Linear and nonlinear interactions.

Nonlinear Effects in fibers

The interactions between lightwaves and the material transmitting them,
can affect optical signals Phenomena is called nonlinear effects in
Fibers.

Weak at low powers but dominant at high optical intensities.

This situation can result either
when the power is increased, or
when it is concentrated in a small area such as the core of a
single-mode optical fiber
Two Broad Categories
Scattering effects
Kerr effects(The power dependence of the refractive index)

Nonlinear Effects in fibers

Nonlinear Effects in fibers

At high power level, the inelastic scattering phenomenon can induce
stimulated effects such as Stimulated Brillouin-Scattering (SBS) and
Stimulated Raman-Scattering(SRS).
The intensity of scattered light grows exponentially if the incident power
exceeds a certain threshold value.
The difference between Brillouin and Raman scattering is that the Brillouin
generated phonons(acoustic) are coherent and give rise to a macroscopic
acoustic wave in the fiber.
In Raman scattering the phonons (optical) are incoherent and no
macroscopic wave is generated.
Except for SPM and CPM, all nonlinear effects provide gains to some
channel at the expense of depleting power from other channels.
SPM and CPM affect only the phase of signals and can cause spectral
broadening, which leads to increased dispersion.

Stimulated Scattering

SBS(Backward scattering)
Stimulated Brillouin Scattering arises when a strong optical signal
generates an acoustic wave that produces variations in the refractive
index.
These index variations cause light waves to scatter in the backward
direction toward the transmitter.

The frequency of the scattered light experiences a shift in the frequency.

Brillouin Scattering is only significant above a threshold power density.
The threshold power is given by

SBS(Backward scattering)
gB is the Brillouin gain . For silica fibers 5 1011 m/W.
where Aeff is the effective core area satisfies the condition

Leff is the effective interaction length defined as

SRS(Transfers optical power from shorter wavelengths to longer

wavelengths)
Stimulated Raman Scattering is an interaction between light waves and
the vibrational modes of silica molecules.
If a photon of energy h1 is incident on a molecule having a vibrational
frequency Vm, the molecule can absorb some energy from the photon.
In this interaction , the photon is scattered, thereby attaining a lower
frequency 2 and a corresponding lower energy h2.
The modified photon is called a stokes photon.
The optical signal that is injected into the fiber is called the pump wave.
This process generates scattered light at a wavelength longer than that of
incident light.
If another signal is present at this longer wavelength, the SRS light will
amplify it.

Stimulated Raman scattering

(Both backward and forward scattering)
Optical power threshold-3 times than brillouin
scattering threshold.
Produces optical phonon and scattered photon in
single mode fiber. The threshold power is given by
Pth

16 Aeff
g R Leff

example :
16(50m 2 )(10 6 m / m) 2
Pth
0.4Watt 26dBm!!
(110 13 m / W )(20,000m)

Stimulated Raman scattering

(Both backward and forward scattering)

SBS and SRS

SBS occurs only in the backward direction whereas SRS can occur in both
directions;
The scattered light is shifted in frequency by about 10 GHz for SBS but by
13 THz for SRS (this shift is called the Stokes shift); and
the Brillouin gain spectrum is extremely narrow (bandwidth < 100 MHz)
compared with the Raman-gain spectrum that extends over 2030 THz.
Both SRS and SBS can be used to advantage while designing optical
communication systems because they can amplify an optical signal by
transferring energy to it from a pump beam whose wavelength is suitably
chosen.
SRS is especially useful because of its extremely large bandwidth and is
used for compensating fiber losses in modern light wave systems.

Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS)

1) Effect and consequences
SRS causes a signal wavelength to behave as a pump for longer
wavelengths, either other signal channels or spontaneously scattered
Raman-shifted light. The shorter wavelengths is attenuated by this
process, which amplifies longer wavelengths
SRS takes place in the transmission fiber

2) SRS could be exploited as an advantage

By using suitable Raman Pumps it is possible to implement a
Distributed Raman Amplifier into the transmission fiber. This helps the
amplification of the signal (in co-operation with the localized EDFA). The
pumps are depleted and the power is transferred to the signal

Transmission Fiber

Kerr nonlinearities
Nonlinear effects which can be readily described by the
intensity-dependent refractive index of the fiber are
commonly referred to as Kerr nonlinearities.
At low optical intensities the refractive index is constant.

However, at higher optical intensities the refractive index

do not remain linear with the applied field which results in
Kerr nonlinear effects.
SPM and CPM affect only the phase of signals and
can cause spectral broadening, which leads to
increased dispersion

The different consequences of the Kerr effect

- Self Phase Modulation (SPM) : If an intensity modulated signal propagates in
the fibre, the intensity modulation induces an index modulation of the fibre and
in return a phase modulation to the signal.

The signal modulates itself

The SPM induced phase modulation broadens the signal spectrum.
- Cross Phase Modulation (XPM) : In the case of a multichannel propagation,
the index modulation induced by the Kerreffect modulates the other channels
and vice-versa.
- Four Wave Mixing (FWM) : In the case of a multichannel propagation and
under phase matching conditions, new frequencies are generated in the fibre
causing crosstalk and power depletion.

Effects of Nonlinearites

Cross Phase Modulation (XPM)

In the case of multi-channel propagation at various wavelength, the
different channels modulate themselves via SPM but also each
other via the fibre index modulation.

The efficiency of Cross Phase Modulation (XPM) depends on :

The fibre chromatic dispersion

The SOP of the different channels
Channel spacing
Channel power

XPM induces non-linear crosstalk.

Four Wave Mixing (FWM)

1) Effect and consequences
FWM is the generation of new optical waves (at frequencies which are the
mixing products of the originator signals). This is due to interaction of the
transmitted optical waves. The created mixing products interfere with the
signal channels causing consequent eye closing and BER degradation
Decreasing channel spacing and chromatic dispersion will increase FWM

N channels N2(N-1)/2 side bands are created, causing

Reduction of signals
Interference
Cross talk

2) Counteractions
Avoid use of ITU-T G.653 (DSF) fiber, Use of ITU-T G.652 (SMF) fiber and
ITU-T G.655 (NZDSF) fiber
Unequal channel spacing will cause the mixing products to be created at
different frequencies which do not interfere with the signal channels

FWM
Example : The input is two signals located at 1 and 2 traverse
a fiber of length (L) and the output is four different signals located
at 1, 2, 21 - 2, and 22 - 1 .

Fiber

Four Wave Mixing (FWM) cont

Consider a simple three wavelength (l1, l2 & l3)
Lets assume that the input wavelengths are ll = 1551.72 nm, l2
= 1552.52 nm & l3 = 1553.32 nm. The interfering wavelengths
that are of most concern in our hypothetical three wavelength
system are:

l1 + l2 - l3 = 1550.92 nm
l1 - l2 + l3 = 1552.52 nm
l2 + l3 . l1 = 1554.12 nm
2l1 - l2 = 1550.92 nm
2l1 - l3 = 1550.12 nm
2l2 - l1 = 1553.32 nm
2l2 - l3 = 1551.72 nm
2l3 - l1 = 1554.92 nm
2l3 - l2 = 1554.12 nm

Some solutions to mitigate the Kerr effect in fibres

Decrease the field intensity by increasing the effective area. e.g. by using
G.652 or G.655 LEAF (Large Effective Area Fibre) fibres.
In the case of single channel transmission, the increase of the chromatic
dispersion will automatically lower the SPM.
In the case of multi-channel transmission, the increase of the channel
spacing and /or chromatic dispersion will decrease XPM effects.
Use orthogonal SOPs for adjacent channels to decrease interaction.