Optical fiber
Optical fiber
Optical fiber (pronounced: /ˈɒptɪkəl ˈfaɪbər/), also known as optical fibre in British English, is a flexible, transparent fiber made by drawing glass (silica) or plastic to a diameter slightly thicker than that of a human hair.
Etymology
The term "optical fiber" is derived from the Latin "opticus" meaning "of sight or seeing" and the Greek "fibra" meaning "fiber". It was first used in the late 20th century with the development of fiber-optic communication systems.
Definition
Optical fibers are used most often as a means to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber and find wide usage in fiber-optic communications, where they permit transmission over longer distances and at higher bandwidths (data rates) than electrical cables.
Types of Optical Fiber
There are two main types of optical fiber used in fiber optic communications: single-mode optical fiber and multi-mode optical fiber.
- Single-mode optical fiber is an optical fiber in which only one mode will propagate at the wavelength of interest.
- Multi-mode optical fiber is a type of optical fiber mostly used for communication over short distances, such as within a building or on a campus.
Related Terms
- Fiber-optic communications: A method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber.
- Optical fiber cable: A cable containing one or more optical fibers that are used to carry light.
- Optical fiber connector: A device used to connect optical fibers together.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Optical fiber
- Wikipedia's article - Optical fiber
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