Optical fiber

An optical fiber is a thin, flexible strand of transparent glass or plastic that guides light along its length. It carries data and signals with low loss over long distances.

Total internal reflection: The reflection of light back into a material when it reaches a boundary at an angle beyond the critical angle. Light can remain trapped inside a fiber core when it meets the core–cladding boundary at suitable angles.
Fiber-optic communication: The transmission of information as light pulses through optical fibers. This is the principal use of long-distance optical-fiber links.
Single-mode optical fiber: An optical fiber designed to carry one spatial mode of light at a time. It limits modal dispersion and is favored for high-capacity, long-distance links.
Daniel Colladon: A Swiss physicist who demonstrated in 1842 that light could be guided by a stream of water. His water-jet demonstration showed the light-guiding principle later used in fibers.
Optical amplifier: A device that increases the power of an optical signal without first converting it into an electrical signal. Optical amplifiers extend fiber links by boosting light directly along the route.
Fiber-optic cable: An assembly of optical fibers and protective layers designed to transmit light signals. A working link bundles fibers with strength members and protective jackets.
Submarine communications cable: A cable laid on or beneath the seabed to carry telecommunications between distant locations. Most international data traffic travels through submarine cables containing optical fibers.
Multimode optical fiber: An optical fiber with a relatively large core that carries multiple spatial modes of light. Its multiple paths can spread pulses more than in single-mode fiber.
John Tyndall: A nineteenth-century physicist who publicly demonstrated light guiding through a curved stream of water. His demonstrations helped establish that light could follow a bent transparent path.
Erbium-doped fiber amplifier: An optical amplifier that uses erbium-doped fiber to amplify light near telecommunications wavelengths. It enabled practical amplification of signals in long-haul fiber systems.

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