1 Answer
The working principle of optical fiber is based on **total internal reflection**, which allows light to travel through the fiber with minimal loss. Here's a simple breakdown:
1. **Core and Cladding**: An optical fiber consists of two main parts:
- **Core**: The central part of the fiber where light travels. It has a higher refractive index.
- **Cladding**: Surrounds the core and has a lower refractive index. The cladding keeps the light inside the core by reflecting it back.
2. **Light Transmission**: When light is introduced into the core of the optical fiber at a specific angle, it hits the core-cladding boundary. If the angle of incidence is greater than a critical angle, the light doesn't pass through the boundary; instead, it gets reflected back into the core. This is **total internal reflection**.
3. **Guiding the Light**: This reflection happens repeatedly as the light travels down the fiber, which allows it to stay within the core and move along the length of the fiber. Since the fiber is flexible, it can bend and still keep the light inside.
4. **Minimal Loss**: The light continues to reflect along the fiber, traveling long distances with minimal loss of signal, making optical fibers ideal for high-speed data transmission.
In simple terms, think of an optical fiber as a flexible, light-carrying tube that guides light inside it by continuously bouncing the light off the walls (core and cladding boundary) without letting it escape.
Does that help clarify how it works?
1. **Core and Cladding**: An optical fiber consists of two main parts:
- **Core**: The central part of the fiber where light travels. It has a higher refractive index.
- **Cladding**: Surrounds the core and has a lower refractive index. The cladding keeps the light inside the core by reflecting it back.
2. **Light Transmission**: When light is introduced into the core of the optical fiber at a specific angle, it hits the core-cladding boundary. If the angle of incidence is greater than a critical angle, the light doesn't pass through the boundary; instead, it gets reflected back into the core. This is **total internal reflection**.
3. **Guiding the Light**: This reflection happens repeatedly as the light travels down the fiber, which allows it to stay within the core and move along the length of the fiber. Since the fiber is flexible, it can bend and still keep the light inside.
4. **Minimal Loss**: The light continues to reflect along the fiber, traveling long distances with minimal loss of signal, making optical fibers ideal for high-speed data transmission.
In simple terms, think of an optical fiber as a flexible, light-carrying tube that guides light inside it by continuously bouncing the light off the walls (core and cladding boundary) without letting it escape.
Does that help clarify how it works?