Material dispersion coefficient
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2008-03-12T07:50:41Z
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In an [[optical fiber]], the '''material dispersion coefficient''', ''M''(λ), characterizes the amount of [[pulse broadening]] by material [[dispersion (optics)|dispersion]] per unit length of fiber and per unit of [[spectral width]]. It is usually expressed in [[picosecond]]s per ([[nanometre]]·[[kilometre]]).
For many optical fiber materials, ''M''(λ) approaches zero at a specific [[wavelength]] λ<sub>0</sub> between 1.3 and 1.5 [[μm]]. At wavelengths shorter than λ<sub>0</sub>, ''M''(λ) is negative and increases with wavelength; at wavelengths longer than λ<sub>0</sub>, ''M''(λ) is positive and decreases with wavelength.
Pulse broadening caused by material dispersion in a unit length of optical fiber is given by the product of ''M''(λ) and [[spectral width]] (Δλ).
==References==
*[[Federal Standard 1037C]]
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[[Category:Fiber optics]]
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