Kiudoptiliste

Kiudoptiliste, in English fiber-optic technologies, describe systems that transmit information as light through thin, flexible strands of glass or plastic. Core elements include optical fibers, cables, connectors, and transceivers, along with amplifiers, multiplexers, and network equipment. These technologies underpin modern communication networks, data centers, medical imaging, and industrial sensing.

Operation relies on total internal reflection: light is guided within a high-refractive-index core surrounded by a lower-index cladding. Small differences in refractive index keep light confined with minimal attenuation. Fibers are typically categorized as single-mode, which carry a single light path for long distances, and multimode, which support multiple paths for shorter links. Material design and manufacturing determine bandwidth and loss.

Manufacturing involves creating a glass preform with the desired refractive profile and drawing it into long, thin fibers. Silica is the dominant material, with polymer fibers used for short-reach applications. The fiber is then assembled with protective coatings, jackets, and terminations. Systems integrate light sources (lasers, LEDs), detectors, and passive components to form complete networks.

Applications include long-haul and metropolitan telecommunications, fiber to the home, data centers, and medical imaging techniques such as optical coherence tomography. Advances focus on higher data rates, lower loss, bend-insensitive fibers, and new modalities such as hollow-core and photonic-crystal fibers, as well as integrated photonic circuits to reduce size and cost.