Single Mode Optical Fiber Types

Multimode optical fiber with stepped index.

Single mode optical fiber types.

A typical single mode optical fiber has a core diameter between 8 and 10 5 µm and a cladding diameter of 125 µm. In smf light follows a single path through the fiber while in mmf it takes multiple paths resulting in differential mode delay dmd. The itu administers the commonly referenced single mode fiber standards documents g 652 through g 655 as required by telecom systems manufcturers and their customers. Multimode optical fiber with graded index.

With the increasing demand for greater capacity over long distance transmission single mode fiber optic cable is designed with various versions. Single mode fiber is a common type of optical fiber that is used to transmit over longer distances. Itu standards the itu has defined a series of recommendations that describe the geometrical properties and transmissive properties of multimode and single mode fiber optic cables. Single mode fiber features only one transmission mode.

Because of this the number of light reflections created as the light passes through the core decreases lowering attenuation and creating the ability for the signal to travel further. While multimode means the fiber can propagate multiple modes. Single mode optical fiber is an optical fiber in which only the lowest order bound mode can propagate at the wavelength of interest typically 1300 to 1320nm. As mentioned in the article on the structure of optical fibers the properties of data transmission via a fiber optic depend on the core hence based on the differences in the structure of the core there are three main types of optical fibers.

G652 g653 g654 g655 g656 and g657 among which g652 and g655 are two options frequently used in wdm. Single mode means the fiber enables one type of light mode to be propagated at a time. Single mode smf and multi mode mmf. It is one of the two optical fiber types the other being multi mode fiber.

The differences between single mode and multimode fiber mainly lies in fiber core diameter wavelength light source bandwidth color sheath distance and cost. Multi mode optical fiber is a type of optical fiber mostly used for communication over short distances such as within a building or on a campus. Single mode fiber optic cable. Multi mode fiber has a fairly large core diameter that enables multiple light modes to be propagated and limits the maximum length of a transmission link because of modal dispersion.

There are 6 different categories of smfs. There are two basic types of optical fiber used for 10 gigabit ethernet. There are a number of special types of single mode optical fiber which have been chemically or physically altered to give special properties such as dispersion shifted fiber and nonzero dispersion shifted fiber data rates are limited by polarization mode dispersion and chromatic. Smf is used for long distance communication and mmf is used for distances of less than 300 m.

Multi mode links can be used for data rates up to 100 gbit s.