fiberoptic

Fiber optic, or fiber optics, refers to the technology that transmits information as light through thin strands of glass or plastic called optical fibers. A fiber consists of a dense core surrounded by a cladding material with a lower refractive index. Light injected into the core is confined by total internal reflection at the core–cladding boundary, enabling information to travel long distances with low loss.

Fibers are made from silica or plastic; silica fibers are dominant for telecommunications. They may be single-mode, with a small core that propagates a single light path, enabling long-distance transmission, or multimode, with a larger core allowing multiple light paths and higher data rates over shorter distances. Attenuation and dispersion affect signal quality; engineering minimizes these through fiber design, wavelength selection (commonly in the near-infrared around 850–1550 nm), and repeaters or amplifiers.

Key components include transmitters (laser diodes or LEDs), the optical fiber itself, and receivers (photodetectors); networks require connectors, splices, and protective jackets. Common configurations include point-to-point links, local area networks, and long-haul backbones; in fiber-to-the-home architectures, fiber terminates in subscriber equipment. Applications span telecommunications, data centers, cable television, medical endoscopy, and various fiber optic sensors for structural health monitoring, aerospace, and industrial automation.

Advantages include high bandwidth, low signal loss over long distances, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and compact cabling. Limitations involve physical fragility, installation and maintenance costs, and sensitivity to bending losses and connector inefficiencies. Ongoing research aims to reduce attenuation, improve splicing, and develop new materials and fiber designs to extend reach and capacity.