Modelisation de la propagation dans les fibres optiques

This paper presents a new method for investigating the effects of mode conversion due to microbends on the transmission characteristics (attenuation, frequency response ...) of multimode optical fibres. The method applies to both step-index and graded-index fibres and takes into account any dependence of the mode coupling coefficient upon propagation angle. The general theory of propagation with mode coupling is developed and we introduce the concept of modes. The propagation problem is then simplified by using hypotheses based on exerpimental results and the solution is obtained with the help of a computer. Practical results concerning the increase of attenuation due to microbends are presented, from which the precautions to be taken when cabling fibres are deduced. It is also shown that in every practical case encountered, the prediction of the total attenuation and of the frequency response of a given fibre, when the launching conditions are specified is obtained from analytical expressions which approximate well with the exact results obtained from the computer. All these results make the method powerful and very useful for system designers when evaluating the effect of introducing an optical fibre into a transmission system.