Abstract

Theoretical work on dispersion in single-mode fibers sometimes uses the assumption that waveguide dispersion D_w and material dispersion D_m are separate effects that contribute additively to the total amount of dispersion D_m+w. Using Gloge’s LP-mode approximation we compute the dispersion of the LP₀₁ (HE₁₁) mode by solving the eigenvalue equation taking dispersion of core and cladding materials into account. The dispersion of the LP₀₁ mode is computed by numerical differentiation of the solution of the eigenvalue equation. The difference D_m+w − D_m is compared to waveguide dispersion D_w, which is computed by ignoring the dispersive properties of the core and cladding materials. We find large percentage deviations between D_m+w − D_m and D_w. The assumption of additivity of material and waveguide dispersion is thus not quite correct. However, because of the small contribution of waveguide dispersion to the total dispersion of the LP₀₁ mode, even a large percentage error in the waveguide dispersion has little influence on the over-all dispersion of the LP₀₁ mode.

© 1979 Optical Society of America

Minimum dispersion in a single-mode step-index optical fiber

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