Bending Effect on the Single Mode Optical Fibers

Abstract

Bending effects on the transmission of optical signal are investigated on a single mode
optical fiber (SMOF) of 10 m length, core radius of 5 μm and optical refractive index difference
0.003. The bending radii (R) were between 0.08 and 0.0015 m. A great decrease in the amplitude is
shown for radii below 0.01 m. Sudden break down occurs for radii less than 0.0015 m. Birefringence
(B) is difficult to measure for long fibers. Meanwhile, B was found by comparing with calibrated
fiber of the same properties but of length of 0.075 m. The results show an increase in propagation
constant (Δβ) and the decrease in beat length (Lb), and show that bending decreases the critical radius
of curvature (Rc) related to B. The changes induced on the initial phase of the signal are shown for
bending curvatures of radii 0.06, 0.03 and 0.005 m. The linear phase retardation is found to increase
more rapidly for bends of R< 0.05 m. The degree of polarization decreases smoothly for bends of
R>0.01m. Below this curvature, the fluctuation and great instability in the polarization- state of the
output signal are easily detected. All these features are very important in using SMOF in sensitive
optical devices especially in long distance fiber communications.