Tutorials

The interaction of light with the atoms or molecules of a material is wavelength dependent. A consequence of this dependence is the resonant interactions related to material dispersion. Another consequence of such resonant interaction is birefringence, the change in refractive index with the polarization of light.

The theoretical bandwidth of optical fiber transmission in the 1550 nm window alone is on the order of terabits. Current fiber optic systems have not even begun to utilize the enormous potential bandwidth that is possible.

A beam of light can be thought of as being composed of two orthogonal electrical vector field components that vary in amplitude and frequency. Polarized light occurs when these two components differ in phase or amplitude. Polarization in optical fiber has been extensively studied and a variety of methods are available to either minimize or exploit the phenomenon.

Photonic crystal fibers are generally divided into two main categories: Index Guiding Fibers that have a solid core, and Photonic Bandgap Fibers that have periodic microstructured elements and a core of low index material.

Beam expansion or reduction is a common application requirement in most labs using lasers or light sources and optics. There are many ready made beam expanders available on the market, but often they are not available in the required expansion ratio or spectral range.

Polarization in optical fiber has been extensively studied and a variety of methods are available to either minimize or exploit the phenomenon. In this note, basic principles and technical background are introduced to help explain how polarization in fiber optics works and how its control and measurement can be done.

Beam expansion or reduction is a common application requirement in most labs using lasers or light sources and optics. There are many ready-made beam expanders available on the market, but often they are not available in the required expansion ratio or spectral range. And, for students or those working within a tight budget, the plug and play solution may not be the answer.