Dispersion slope is a measure of the amount that the signal speed in a cable changes with wavelength. It is a measure of the signal’s velocity dispersion and is calculated by dividing the difference in the signal speed at two different wavelengths by the difference in the wavelengths themselves. The dispersion slope is important for fiber optic cables because it affects the performance of the cable. The lower the dispersion slope, the better the cable performance.
When light travels through a fiber optic cable, the refractive index of the material that the light is traveling through changes with wavelength. This creates a difference in the speed of the signal at different wavelengths. The larger the difference in speed, the greater the dispersion of the signal. As a result, the dispersion slope is a measure of how much the signal speed changes with wavelength. It is usually expressed as a fraction of a nanosecond (ns) per nanometer (nm).
The dispersion slope is important for determining the performance of a fiber optic cable. The lower the dispersion slope, the lower the signal loss and the better the performance of the cable. The dispersion slope can be adjusted by changing the cable parameters such as the core diameter, the refractive index profile, or the material used to make the cable.
In conclusion, the dispersion slope is an important measure of the performance of a fiber optic cable. It is the measure of the amount the signal speed in the cable changes with wavelength and is usually expressed as a fraction of a nanosecond (ns) per nanometer (nm). The lower the dispersion slope, the better the performance of the cable.
