Interactive tool for learning propagation in single‐mode optical fibers in telecommunication engineering

Abstract

AbstractSingle‐mode optical fiber is one of the most extended wired transmission media providing broadband high‐speed communications all over the world whose performance highly depends on chromatic dispersion and modulation's effects. The motivation of this study is to offer a graphical analyzer of the propagation of Gaussian and super‐Gaussian light pulses directly modulated in a single‐mode optical fiber subject to chromatic dispersion of first and second‐order. The abstract nature of this electromagnetic phenomenon makes any tool that helps learners of optical fiber its understanding a useful resource. Through interactive learning, it is intended to facilitate the comprehension of the behavior of the fiber and feature its capacity in terms of bandwidth and length depending on different parameters and conditions. Also, the study and recreation of directly modulated pulses propagating in the dispersive fiber cannot only be used to teach the students how to avoid its negative impact but to use it as a mechanism to improve the properties of the whole optical communications system. The proposed analyzer consists of a MATLAB graphical user interface integrating the visualization of pulses in time, frequency and carrier's behavior together with additional graphs to interpret and correct chirp and numerical and textual indicators, menus and dialogs to understand the final outcome.