viesolaidiai

Viesolaidžiai, also known as optical fibers, are thin strands of glass or plastic designed to transmit light signals for communication and sensing. A typical fiber consists of a core that guides light, surrounded by a cladding with a lower refractive index, and an outer protective jacket. Light is confined in the core by total internal reflection at the core–cladding interface, allowing signals to travel long distances with low loss.

The technology emerged from mid-20th century research on light transmission in fibers, with key theoretical and experimental work by Kao and Hockham in the 1960s and practical demonstrations in the 1970s. Modern commercialization began in the 1980s and 1990s, enabling global telecommunications networks.

Fibers are classified by mode: single-mode fibers, with a small core that supports a single light path, and multimode fibers, with a larger core that carries multiple paths. They may be made from high-purity silica or plastic. Attenuation and dispersion govern performance; high-purity silica fibers can have very low attenuation (around 0.2 dB/km at the 1550 nm window), enabling long-distance transmission. Other properties include numerical aperture, bandwidth, and bend radius.

Common applications include long-haul and access telecommunications networks, data centers, local area networks, medical imaging and endoscopy, and various sensing technologies. Advantages include high bandwidth, low electromagnetic interference, and immunity to corrosion, while limitations involve fragility, installation cost, and the need for specialized splicing and termination equipment.

Viesolaidžiai form a core component of modern communications infrastructure in Lithuania and worldwide, supporting high-speed internet, television, and data services.