Fiberprofiili

Fiberprofiili is a term used to describe the cross-sectional shape and characteristics of optical fiber. It refers to how the refractive index varies across the fiber's core and cladding. Understanding the fiber profile is crucial for predicting and controlling how light propagates through the fiber.

There are two main types of fiber profiles: step-index and graded-index. In a step-index fiber, there is a sharp change in refractive index between the core and the cladding. This means light rays travel in straight lines within the core until they hit the cladding boundary, where they are reflected back into the core due to total internal reflection. This can lead to modal dispersion, where different light paths arrive at different times, causing signal degradation.

In contrast, a graded-index fiber has a refractive index that gradually decreases from the center of the core towards the cladding. This causes light rays traveling through the center of the core to slow down more than those traveling along the outer edges. As a result, light rays traveling longer paths are bent back towards the center more sharply, allowing them to keep pace with rays traveling shorter, more direct paths. This design significantly reduces modal dispersion, leading to higher bandwidth and longer transmission distances compared to step-index fibers.

The specific fiber profile, including the core diameter, cladding diameter, numerical aperture, and the precise refractive index distribution, determines the fiber's performance characteristics such as bandwidth, attenuation, and susceptibility to various types of signal distortion. Manufacturers provide detailed specifications for their optical fibers, including information about their profiles, to assist users in selecting the appropriate fiber for their intended application.