Calculated fiber attenuation: a general method yielding stationary values

A method of calculating the attenuation constant of an optical fiber under very general but weakly guiding conditions is derived. The method, based on Galerkin's formalism, allows a nonuniform and complex refractive-index profile. The real and imaginary parts of the refractive index are allowed to vary independently and arbitrarily as a function of radius. The result is the predicted complex propagation constant. The results are inherently stationary.<
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