Besides attenuation, dispersion is the major limiting factor in high data rate fiber optical transmission systems. Dispersion compensation techniques have to be deployed in order to increase the data bandwidth or the reach of fiber optical links. Typically fixed value dispersion compensators are used. However at channel bit rates of 40 GBit/s and beyond adjustable residual dispersion compensator modules (DCM) are needed to guarantee an error free transmission under changing environmental conditions. In this thesis dispersion techniques were investigated which exploit the special propagation properties of higher order modes in custom-designed optical fibers. After a short introduction of state-of-the-art dispersion techniques and their parameters (chapter 2) the modeling and calculation of propagation properties of a particular mode in an optical fiber with an arbitrary, rotation-symmetric refractive index profile is shown (chapter 3). A converter from the fundamental mode and back is needed in order to exploit the propagation properties of a higher order mode (HOM). In this work long-period gratings (LPG) were considered as mode converters (chapter 4) as they can excite selective and nearly lossless a higher order mode. The modeling und calculation of these gratings, based on the fiber calculation of chapter 3, is presented in the first part of chapter 4. Afterwards the manufacturing methods developed during this work are introduced. The spectral properties of realized long-period gratings are discussed and the influence of such factors as strain and temperature on tuning the mode conversion is shown. A dispersion compensator type utilizing only the waveguide dispersion of a certain mode in a custom few mode fiber (FMF) is the subject of chapter 5. The working principle, the fiber design process and first measurements of a realized HOM-DCM with almost completely coupling FMF-LPG are presented. Subsequently the principle of a novel dispersion compensator with an arbitrary dispersion function for a higher or the fundamental mode is explained. In chapter 6 another type of dispersion compensator is investigated consisting of equally distributed long-period gratings along an optical fiber. The fiber pieces between the gratings create a certain time delay between the fundamental mode and the considered higher order mode. It is shown in simulations and in an experiment, that by tuning the mode conversion of each grating and the optical phase relation between the two signal paths in each fiber piece this finite impulse filter structure is so adjusted to function as a tunable residual dispersion compensator.

Carbon dioxide sequestration is one of many mitigation tools available to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions while other disposal/repurposing methods are being investigated. Geologic sequestration is the most stable option for long-term storage of carbon dioxide (CO2), with significant CO2 trapping occurring through mineralization within the first 20-50 years. A fiber optic based monitoring system has been proposed to provide real time concentrations of CO2 at various points throughout the geologic formation. The proposed sensor is sensitive to the refractive index (RI) of substances in direct contact with the sensing component. As RI is a measurement of light propagating through a bulk medium relative to light propagating through a vacuum, the extraction of the effects of any specific component of that medium to the RI remains very difficult. Therefore, a requirement for a selective barrier to be able to prevent confounding substances from being in contact with the sensor and specifically isolate CO2 is necessary. As such a method to evaluate the performance of the selective element of the sensor was investigated. Polybenzimidazole (PBI) and VTEC polyimide (PI) 1388 are high performance polymers with good selectivity for CO2 used in high temperature gas separations. These polymers were spin coated onto a glass substrate and cured to form ultra-thin (>10 μm) membranes for gas separation. At a range of pressures (0.14 –0.41 MPa) and a set temperature of 24.2±0.8 °C, intrinsic permeabilities to CO2 and nitrogen (N2) were investigated as they are the gases of highest prevalence in underground aquifers. Preliminary RI testing for proof of concept has yielded promising results when the sensor is exposed exclusively to CO2 or N2. However, the use of both PBI and VTEC PI in these trials resulted in CO2 selectivities of 0.72 to 0.87 and 0.33 to 0.63 respectively, for corresponding feed pressures of 0.14 to 0.41 MPa. This indicates that both of the polymers are more selective for N2 and should not be used in CO2 sensing applications as confounding gas permeants, specifically N2, will interfere with the sensing element. / Graduate / 0428 / 0495 / 0542 / ben.t.davies@gmail.com