Fiber Optics Tara Fruecht COSC 352 Fall 2006

Overview Fiber optics 101 Parts of a cable How they work 19 th Century Fiber Optics 20 th Century Fiber Optics Laser technology Advantages/Disadvantages Uses

Fiber optics?

Fiber Optic Cable Buffer Coating Protective cover Cladding Reflects light back into core Core Very thin glass or plastic fiber in middle of cable

How do fiber optics work? Cladding does not absorb light Reflects More clear the glass is, further light can travel

Nineteenth Century 1870: John Tyndall Internal reflection Transmission of light

Nineteenth Century Cont’d 1880: William Wheeling Piping Light: Mirrored pipes Provide light to many rooms Ineffective 1880: Alexander Graham Bell Optical Voice Transmission: Photophone Free space light to carry human voice 200 meters Used mirrors No wires needed to connect transmitter/receiver

Twentieth Century 1950’s: Fiber Scope Image transmitting device Created by Brian O’Brien (also gave fiber optics it’s name in 1956) First all glass fiber used Issues with all glass fibers? Loss of light Limits transmission distances

Laser Technology Able to generate large amounts of light useful for fiber optics Originally open air transmission Ineffective due to environmental conditions Purified glass to make fiber optics possible Semiconductor lasers are most used in fiber optics today

Advantages Disadvantages Flexible Lightweight Low power Less loss of signal Less long term expenses Carry lots of data No electromagnetic interference High cost at first Difficult to splice Can’t carry power to operate other devices Cable can be damaged with higher optical powers

Other uses Networking Telecommunication Direct sunlight Endoscopes Lighting Cable TV Audio applications

References history.htm#Figure_1 history.htm#Figure_1 optic4.htm