FOC PYQ’s(Last 6 Papers)

CH:-1
1) Draw and Explain block diagram of Optical fiber
communication, and mention functions of each block.
2) Briefly describe the block diagram of Optical communication
systems.
3) Explain the three transmission windows of Optical fiber
communication with diagram.
4) Mention the advantages of fiber optic cable over conventional
cable.
5) Describe working of an optical fiber communication system
with proper block diagram in detail.
6) Explain the advantages of the optical communication system
using optical fiber over conventional copper system as a
transmission link. State the optical transmission windows
7) List any three advantages of fiber optic communication.
8) Calculate the carrier frequency and photon energy (in eV) for
the following optical communication systems: (i) Operating at
1.3 µm and (ii) operating at 1.5 µm.
9) Explain the advantages of the optical communication system
using optical fiber over conventional copper system as a
transmission link

CH:-2
1) Define: 1) Normalized frequency of fiber, 2) Mode volume for
step index fiber, 3) Mode volume for graded index fiber.
2) Describe Fiber structure with neat diagram.
3) Compare single mode fiber with multimode fiber
4) Discuss briefly numerical aperture.
5) Give the comparison of S.I. and G.I. fibers.
6) Give the comparison of S.I and G.I fibers
7) Give the comparison of Step Index and Graded Index fibers.
8) Compare step index fiber with graded index fiber.
9) Give in brief the comparison of S.I. and G.I. fibers.
10) Draw the diagram of index profile, fiber cross-section and ray
optics for the step index and graded index mono-mode and
multimode wave propagation. Also indicate all dimensions of
fiber cross-sections.
11) Define following terms: (1) Refractive index (2) Snell’s law (3)
Critical Angle
12) Using simple ray theory, describe the mechanism for the
transmission of light Within an optical fiber and show how
acceptance angle is related to the fiber numerical aperture.
13) Explain double crucible method of fiber fabrication.
14) What is equilibrium numerical aperture? Give the significance
of the same.
15) Define the following. (Draw necessary figures and write
equations if any) i) Acceptance angle and acceptance cone ii)
Total internal reflection
16) Discuss the ray optics representation for the skew rays and
meridional rays in a step index fiber with neat and clean
diagram. Derive an expression for numerical aperture and
maximum acceptance angle in case of a step index optical fiber
in terms of refractive indices of core and cladding material.
17) A silica optical fiber with a core diameter large enough to be
considered by ray theory analysis has a core refractive index of
1.48 and a cladding refractive index of 1.46. Determine: (i) The
critical angle at the core cladding interface. (ii)The N.A. for the
fiber (iii) The acceptance angle in air for the fiber.
18) Discuss fiber fabrication technique along with the schematic of
a fiber drawing apparatus. Explain Outside Vapour-Phase
Oxidation technique for the production of optical fiber.
19) Compare Multimode fiber with single mode fiber. A
multimode step index fiber with a core diameter of 70µm and a
relative index difference of 1.5% is operating at a wavelength of
0.9 µm. If the core refractive index is 1.5, Calculate the
normalized frequency for the fiber and the number of guided
modes. Also compute the power in the clad if the total input
power is 500 mw.
20) Classify the optical fiber according to refractive index profile
and materials used to make optical fiber and explain both of
them in detail.
21) Draw and explain schematic of a fiber drawing apparatus.
22) Define Numerical Aperture and derive its expression for the
step index fiber
23) Explain the electromagnetic mode theory for light propagation
through fiber.
24) A step index fiber in air has a numerical aperture of 0.16, a
core refractive index of 1.45 and a core diameter of 60 µm.
Calculate refractive index of cladding, relative refractive index
difference ( Δ ) and acceptance angle
25) Explain double crucible method of fiber fabrication.
26) A step index fiber has following parameters: n1=1.475,
n2=1.460 and core radius of 25 µm. Determine (i) Total number
of reflections over a length of 1 km of the fiber. (ii) The total
loss over 1 km, if the power loss is 0.01% at each reflection
27) A point source of light is 12 cm below the surface of a large
body of water (ƞ=1.33). Find the radius of the largest circle on
the water surface through which the light can emerge.
28) Explain Total internal reflection with the help of figure and its
significance in fiber optic communication.
29) Explain Snell’s law with the help of figure and equations.
30) Explain the plasma activated chemical vapor deposition
(PCVD) technique for the production of optical fiber.
 31) Describe multimode step index, single mode step index and
graded index fiber with the aid of simple ray diagrams.
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of these fibers for
use as an optical channel.
32) What is equilibrium numerical aperture. Give the significance
of the same.
33) Compare Ray theory and Electromagnetic mode theory for
light propagation through fiber.

CH:-3
1) Why graded index is less affected by dispersion than step index
multi-mode optical fibers?
2) Define signal attenuation and derive its mathematical
expression.
3) Explain Modal noise.
4) Give classification of dispersion and explain its effect in fiber
optic communication. Mention different ways to reduce it
5) Discuss the following for optical fibers: 1) Absorption 2)
Rayleigh Scattering
6) What are bending losses in fiber optic communication?
Describe: 1) Micro bending losses. 2) Macro bending losses.
7) Describe briefly the losses in optical fibers.
8) Explain the Scattering Losses occur in optical fiber.
9) Explain the concept of dispersion shifted fibers and dispersion
flattened fibers
10) Explain the polarization modal dispersion and its effect on the
performance of the optical communication
11) An optical signal at a specific wavelength has lost 55% of its
power after traversing 3.5 km of fiber. What is the attenuation
in dB/km of this fiber?
 12) What is dispersion in optical fiber? Classify different dispersion
with reasons. Explain its effect in optical communication. How
to reduce the effect of dispersion?
13) Give comparison of intermodal and intramodal dispersion.
14) A continuous 15 km long optical fiber link has a loss of 1.7
dB/km. i) i) What is the minimum optical power level that must
be launched into ii) the fiber to maintain as optical power level
of 0.3 μW at the receiving end. ii) What is the required input
power if the fiber has a loss of 2.7 dB/km
15) What do you mean by dispersion?
16) Discuss different types of Attenuation Losses related to optical
fiber communication in detail.
17) What is dispersion in fiber optic communication? Describe:
Material dispersion
18) What is dispersion in optical fiber? How to reduce the effect of
dispersion?
19) Summarize the attenuation loss in optical fiber
20) Classify the various types of attenuations observed in fiber
optic communication.
21) Derive an expression for pulse broadening due to intermodal
dispersion in a multimode step index fiber.

CH:-4
1) The radiative and non-radiative recombination life times of
minority carriers in the active region of a double heterojunction
LED are 60 ns, and 100 ns respectively. Determine the total
carrier recombination life time and optical power generated
internally, if the peak emission wavelength is 0.87 µm, and the
drive current is 40 mA.
2) List the types of Light Emitting Diodes used in optical system
and explain any one of them with required figure.
3) Differentiate between LED and Laser.
4) Explain about the surface emitter LED with neat diagram
5) Give the comparison between LED and LASER
6) Make a comparison of LED and LASER diode as a light source in
fiber optic communication.
7) Compare LED and LASER diodes as light sources for optical fiber
8) What is ‘population inversion’ and how it can be achieve?
9) With reference to LED, explain how to achieve. a) a high
radiance and high quantum effect b) carrier and optical
confinement.
10) Explain the high radiance surface emitting LED. Highlight the
drawbacks of it and how it can reduce with the help of edge
emitting LED.
11) Draw ELED configuration and explain its working in detail.
12) Discuss briefly the structure of surface emitting LED with neat
sketch.
13) Give importance of DFB lasers used in optical transmitters.
14) What is population inversion?
15) Technically explain the term Spontaneous emission and
Stimulated emission.
16) Differentiate direct bandgap materials and indirect bandgap
materials.
17) Discuss briefly the distributed feedback LASER with neat
sketch.
18) Define: Radiance, Responsivity, Population inversion
19) The radiative and non-radiative recombination life times of the
minority carriers in the active region of an LED are 3 ns and 100
ns, respectively. Determine the internal efficiency and the bulk
recombination lifetime in absence of self-absorption and
recombination at hetero-junction.
20) Derive an equation for wavelength spacing for a LASER. A GaAs
LASER emitting at 800 nm has a 400 µm long cavity with
refractive index ƞ=3.6. If gain exceeds the total loss throughout
 the range of 750nm to 850nm, calculate the number of modes
that will exist in the LASER.
21) Define the following. (Draw necessary figures and write
equations if any) i) Critical angle ii) Numerical aperture iii)
Rayleigh Scattering iv) Population inversion.
22) Explain the principles of operation of the laser using suitable
diagrams.

CH:-5
1) List the most common type of mechanical misalignment
occurring between two joined fibers. Explain in brief anyone.
2) Explain following terms: 1) Power launching 2) Coupling
efficiency
3) Calculate the optical power coupled into the fiber by an optical
source with a bias current of 20 mA and a forward voltage of
1.5 V. Assume an internal efficiency of the source as 2% and the
coupling efficiency of 30%
4) What is splicing? Explain different techniques of splicing
5) What do you mean by splicing? Explain any one splicing
technique with diagram
6) Explain types of Mechanical Misalignment occur during fiber
joining process.
7) Explain different fiber ‘end face’ preparation techniques
8) Sketch and explain the different lensing scheme to improve
coupling efficiency.
9) Explain the importance of various lensing schemes for
improvement of coupling in optical fibers
10) Two fibers with identical NA and core/cladding dimensions are
connected. The refractive index of the core is 1.45. There is a
small gap between the two fiber end faces. Determine the loss
 due to mismatch of refractive indices because of intervention of
air in between fiber end faces.
11) Mention the principal requirements of good optical fiber
connectors
12) List the different types of lensing schemes used in fiber optical
communication

CH:-6
1) Define the following terms related to photo detector: 1)
Responsivity 2) Quantum efficiency 3) Cut-off wavelength
2) Differentiate between p-i-n and avalanche photodiodes.
3) Describe the principle used in the photo detector.
4) Explain the principal of optical detection.
5) Define the following terms related to photo detector. (1)
Responsivity (2) Quantum efficiency (3) Cut off wavelength
6) A silicon APD has a quantum efficiency of 75% at a wavelength
of 900 nm. If 0.5 mw of optical power produces a multiplied
photo current of 10 mA, then what is avalanche gain for this
device?
7) Define the quantum efficiency & responsivity of a photo
detector.
8) Explain the operation of Avalanche Photo Diode with neat and
clean diagram.
9) Define: (i) V number (ii) Responsivity (iii) Spontaneous emission
10) Explain the working principle of Avalanche photo diode.
11) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of APD over p-i-n.
12) An InGaAs p-i-n diode, operating at 1300 nm, has following
parameters:ID= 4 nA, η=0.9, RL=1000 Ω. The incident optical
power is 300 nW and the receiver bandwidth is 20 MHz.
Determine values of various noise currents. Assume surface
leakage current to be zero.
 13) Define: Quantum efficiency, Splicing, Birefringence
14) Explain detection process in the p-n photodiode. Define the
quantum efficiency and responsivity of a photo detector.

CH:-7
1) Discuss with the aid of a block diagram, the function of an
optical fiber receiver in communication with its components.
2) Discuss the EYE pattern diagram in brief.
3) Discuss the EYE pattern diagram in brief.
4) Briefly discuss the possible sources of noise in optical receivers.
5) With a schematic diagram explain the working of optical
receiver.
6) Enlist and explain the factors that decides the performance of
optical reception. Draw and explain eye diagram in detail.

CH:-8
1) Discuss optical power loss model for a point-to-point link.
2) Discuss optical power loss model for a point to point link.
3) Discuss limitations on BER in optical transmission systems.
4) Draw the optical power loss model diagram for a point-to-point
link and explain the concept of link power budget
5) Calculate the link power budget to construct an optical link of
15KM and a bandwidth of 100Mb/s. Components are chosen
with following characteristics: Receiver sensitivity is -50dBm,
fiber loss is 2dB/KM and a transmitter launch power of 0dBm,
source and detector coupling loss of 1dB each.It is anticipated
that 10 splices are required with each of loss of
0.4dB.Determine whether the system operates with sufficient
power margin or not.
 6) An 850 nm, graded index, multimode 50 Mbps fiber optic
system with 2dB/km loss is used for a network. The source
delivers -16 dBm power with 50 nm spectral width and the
detector has a sensitivity of -48 dB at 50 Mbps. The bandwidth-
distance product of the fiber is 500 Mbps-km. Determine the
number of taps, each with a 0.4 dB loss that can be inserted per
kilometer without affecting the distance. Also, find the
maximum distance that can be covered, without any tap, if the
data rate is reduced to 10 Mbps.
7) A 6 km long fiber optic communication link has following
parameters: 07 2 Combined optical source + drive circuitry rise
time=15ns Spectral width of the source = 40 nm Receiver front-
end bandwidth = 25MHz Fiber bandwidth-distance product =
400 MHz-km Fiber material dispersion=0.0875 ns/nm.km Use
your expertise as optical engineer to investigate the suitability
of this link to transmit a data rate of 20 Mbps (NRZ). Assume
q=0.7.
8) Discuss optical power loss model for a point-to-point link

CH:-9
1) Explain Erbium Drop Power amplifiers (EDFAs).
2) Mention the applications of Optical amplifier.
3) Discuss the need of optical amplifier and also describe the
architecture and amplification mechanism of Erbium Doped
Fiber Amplifier. (EDFA).
4) Discuss the significance of optical amplifier in fiber optic
communication. Describe the architecture and amplification
mechanism of Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA).

CH:-10
 1) Discuss the Wavelength division multiplexing in brief.
2) Write short notes on Synchronous optical fiber networks
(SONET).
3) Write short notes on Synchronous optical fiber
networks(SONET)
4) Explain Synchronous optical fiber networks (SONET) in detail.
5) Write short notes on Synchronous optical fiber networks
(SONET).
6) Explain the principle of operation of Wavelength division
multiplexing.
7) Explain the features of Wavelength Division Multiplexing.
8) Explain the basic principles of WDM and DWDM with respect to
optical fiber system
9) Give full forms of: WDM, LAN, SDH
10) Explain the features of Wavelength Division Multiplexing
11) Give full forms of: SONET, EDFA, RAPD

CH:-11
1) Explain Mach-Zehnder Interferometer (MZI) Multiplexer in
detail.
2) Explain the 2 x 2 fiber coupler and its function.
3) Explain the 2x2 Fiber Coupler and its function.
4) Explain the working principle of star coupler
5) Explain the principle of Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

CH:-12
1) Explain OTDR method with its benefits over other techniques.
2) Explain Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) method
with its benefits over other techniques.
3) Explain the experimental method to measure Numerical
Aperture(NA) and derive the relevant mathematical expression
for NA using the same.
4) Consider the case of the determination of a crack in a single
mode fiber whose core refractive index is 1.425. Assume that
the OTDR emits wavelength to excite only a single mode.
Determine the error in crack location if neff=1.42 is used.The
round trip delay found is τ=100 µs.
5) Explain any one method for optical dispersion measurement.

-:Prepared By Sahil Gohel:-