Optical Fibres

Dylan Adlard
Optical fibres are used in high-speed communications, such as cable
TV and high-speed broadband services. They are also used in
medical endoscopes. It is a cable that has a fine high-quality glass
core and it surrounded by glass cladding with a lower refractive
index that the core. Light sent in one end thus undergoes repeated
total internal reflection (only if the angle of light shone is greater
than the critical angle), and emerges at the other end. This light is
the information sent down bundles of optical fibres. Fibre optic
cables carry more signals than traditional copper cable telephone
lines. The fibre is transparent so that the light cannot be absorbed in
its journey. As well as this, the glass must have a higher refractive
index than the cladding.

The cladding has lower refractive index to reduce light loss from the
core.

Modal dispersion (multipath): Light travelling along the axis of

the core travels a shorter distance per metre of fibre than light that
repeatedly undergoes total internal reflection. If a pulse were too
long, it would merge with the next pulse. To prevent this, the core
must be very narrow.
Pulse dispersion: occurs if white light is used instead of
monochromatic light. Speed of light in the glass depends on the
wavelength of the light in the glass. The speed difference causes
pulses of white light in the fibre to become longer, as violet would
fall behind red. Therefore, the best light to use is monochromatic.
Medical endoscope: It contains two bundles of fibres. The
endoscope is inserted into the body, which is illuminated through
one of the fibres. A lens positioned on the other end of the fibre
bundle is used to form an image on that end. The light forming this
image travels to the other end where the image is observed. The
fibre bundle needs to be coherent fibres at relative ends must be
in relative positions.