What are Fiber Optics

Fiber optics are long, thin strands of very pure glass about the size of diameter of a human hair. They are arranged in bundles called optical cables and used to transmit lightsignals over short or long distances.


Fiber optics consist of following parts :-

• Core - Thin glass center of the fiber where the light travels
• Cladding - Outer optical material surrounding the core that reflects the light back into the core
• Buffer coating - Plastic coating that protects the fiber from damage and moisture

Hundreds or thousands of these optical fibers are arranged in bundles in optical cables. The bundles are protected by the cable's outer covering, called a jacket.

Optical fibers come in two types:

• Single-mode fibers
• Multi-mode fibers