Enter in a new world
Optical fibers are extremely thin strands of ultra-pure glass designed to transmit light from a transmitter to a receiver. These light signals represent electrical signals that include video, audio, or data information in any combination. Figure 1 shows the general cross-section of an optical fiber. The fiber consists of three main regions. The center of the fiber is the core. This region actually carries the light. It ranges in diameter from 9 microns (μm) to 100 microns in the most commonly used fibers. Surrounding the core is a region called the cladding. This part of the fiber confines the light in the core. The cladding typically has a diameter of 125 microns or 140 microns. A key design feature of all optical fibers is that the refractive index of the core is higher than the refractive index of the cladding. Both the core and cladding are usually doped glass materials. Other fiber types incorporate quartz or pure fused silica and plastic, but these are not used in mainstream high-performance applications. The outer region of the optical fiber is called the coating or buffer. The buffer, typically a plastic material, provides protection and preserves the strength of the glass fiber. Typical diameters for the buffer are 250 microns, 500 microns, and 900 microns.