Numerical Simulation of Chromatic Dispersion and Fiber Attenuation in a Single-Mode Optical Fiber System

Chromatic dispersion and fiber attenuation pose a great problem in the detection of optical signals. Dispersion causes pulse broadening which limits the information carrying capacity of the fiber while attenuation limits the maximum transmission distance along the fiber. An approximate Gaussian pulse propagation model is obtained from the solution of Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation to represent the effects of chromatic dispersion and attenuation using Split-Step Fourier Method. It was found that pulse broadening and intensity loss in the optical signal is increasing proportionately with the propagation length of the fiber and this is what contributes to the causes of detection errors at the receiver.