Fiber Optics Delay Formulas

We know that fiber optics is a branch of applied science that deals with the practical uses of optical fibers, a medium which allows light to pass through its entire length. This light passing though its length can be manipulated and converted into a more useable form of energy, like electricity. That is the fundamental concept of fiber optics.

However, that theory can’t work on real life situations as a good many factors do impede even the speed of light. Light is still a resultant of a catalyst, a product of work, by the way, and such makes it subjected to natural decay or the loss of intensity or the adsorption of the energy. Fiber optics, therefore, is not a perfect medium.

The way to calculate the delays of light traveling over an optical fiber is by the fiber optics delay formula. But first we have to understand the formula for Refractive Index.

Refractive Index is the ability of all matter to reflect light. It doesn’t necessarily mean surface since water, glass, and certain crystals and even some gases to reflect water from within. The most obvious illustration of refractive index is crystals, mirrors, and in our case, glass particularly for use in fiber optics. Therefore we say that Refractive Index of an Optical Fiber is the phase velocity in which light can travel along the fiber. A constant is use as reference, being the speed of light in a vacuum which is 186 x 10-3.

Therefore:

RI of the medium = [186 x 10-3 ÷Speed of light in medium]

Where:

RI stands for the index of refraction and 186 x 10-3 is the speed of light in optimal (vacuum) condition

For identifying the index of refraction of the material (the RI of the optical fiber in our case), we use:

n = v (årìr)

Where:

år is the relative permittivity and ìr is the relative permeability.

Total Internal Reflection is a reflecting product of the optical fiber’s index of refraction, and is computed using this formula:

qc = cosine-1 (n2/n1)

Where:

n1 is the index of refraction of the core and n2 is the index of the refraction of the cladding

These Fiber Optics Delay Formulas have shown how index of refraction affects the light traveling through an optical fiber. The index of refraction can be acquired by dividing the optimum speed of light over the speed of light on the said medium. For more ideas about fiber optics delay formulas involving like dispersion of optical components, check out this link: http://www.rp-photonics.com/dispersion.html.