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Abstract
Communication via an optical fibre is as old as the technology itself. This technology is the brain child of scientists Daniel Colodan and Jacques Babinet, who demonstrated how light transmitted through refraction. Consequently, other scientists followed suit brain storming and in less than 50 years ago, scientists opened a new chapter in telecommunication through practical applications of fibre optics. From radio communication to television transmissions to medical checkups, optical fibres continue to earmark a revolution in the communication sector.
The manufacture of fibre optics has undergone metamorphosis over the years from fibre optics composed of waxes and impractical oils, which gave materials of low-index cladding, to modern fibre optics, which comprise of materials that attenuate light at high speed.
Main discussion
Fibre optics deals with the design, manufacturing and the application of optical fibre. It is theoretical science encrypted with practical engineering skills, to fabricate optical fibres. For instance, an optical fibre being a three-layered composite material has the capability of retaining large volumes of data messages, which they transmit over a very long distance. It can be within towns, county, or continent (Hitchcock, 2009).
The capability of fibre optics to transmit voluminous data over long distances has buttressed the internet connectivity transforming the world into a global village. Its application is attributed to its speed of data transmission and minimal data lose a disadvantage common to copper wire transmitters. Additionally, optical fibres can cart images and in many instances, scientists and engineers use optical fibres in manufacturing lasers and electronic sensors (Hitchcock, 2009). Today, optical fibres have assumed the role of copper wires in the telecommunication industry. In the current information age, many countries are shifting from satellite communication into communication via optical fibres. Interestingly, this technology has proved more efficient and faster in terms of transmitting data all over the world.
In a synopsis, this paper will focus on: the definition of fibre optics giving us an insight on its uses the different types and, how fibre optics has impacted on in our daily lives.
What is fibre optics?
A fibre optic, usually the size of human hair, is an optically transparent material in form of wire, glass or plastic in nature, which can transmit light from one place to another through succeeding total internal reflections in the core. It is important to note that, the core has a relatively elevated refractive index than the cladding, which makes total internal reflections possible. From silica, engineers build glassy or plastic optical fibres. Each of these has its functions especially on refractive index. (Fiberoptics Technology Incorporated, 2001).
How Fibre Optic Works
In order to understand the general idea about fibre optics, it is vital to know how it does work. Fibre optic cables work under total internal reflection. Here, light particles bounces on the walls of the fibre at a certain angle repeatedly (Tripod, 2010). As a result, light dwell in the core of the fibre outstanding, total internal reflection. The light in the core remains intact by the virtue of relative differences in the refractive indices of the clad and core, with the former having a greater refractive index than the later (Woodford, 2009).
Uses of Fibre Optic
Fibre optics has transformed the telecommunication industry a big deal, elevating it to the centre of todays telecommunication industry significant for communication purposes. This is because; an optical fibre creates a communication superhighway where voluminous and electric interference-free data transmit over long distances under minimal attenuation, an advantage they carry over copper wire transmitters (Woodford, 2009). The uses of optic fibres have dwarfed the copper wire transmission, and thus, they have been appreciated in many scientific fields because of the merits they carry over copper wires (Wang et al, 2010).
This technology has find application in many scientific fields. Scientists and environmentalists use optical fibres in remote sensing. For example, instead of using a thermometer, pressure gauge or other measuring gadgets, scientists use optical sensors for the same case. In essence, the fibre sensors change these environmental factors into measurable factors like polarization, wavelength, and phase. Fibre optic sensors like pyrometer measure jet engine and electromagnetic fields temperatures, velocity, displacement and rotation (Woodford, 2009).
The illumination industry has not been left behind either. Beauticians use optical fibres to decorate their items. On the other hand, signboards, work of art and artificial handicrafts display through fibre optics. In the health sector, doctors use optical fibres to perform surgical operations. Additionally, together with an endoscope, doctors can remove accidental objects from the body. If doped with rare earth elements for example erbium, optical fibre can amplify light signals into emission. The many applications of fibre optics calls for modifications resulting to the many types found in the market today.
Types of Optic Fibres
Depending on the application, many types of optic fibres have been developed suiting the different needs with respect to the study at hand. So far, scientists and engineers have managed to fabricate three different types of optical fibres. The first one is a single-mode fibre (mono-mode fibre), characterized by a thin core of diameter 5-10 microns (Woodford, 2009).
The second but not least is the multi-mode fibres. They characterize with core diameters starting from 10 microns and above. The core contains numerous optical fibres, which are 10 times bigger the size of single-mode fibres (Woodford, 2009).
To crown it all, we have special-purpose optical fibre consisting of a rectangular cladding or core. Normally, this type of optical fibre performs different functions according to the modifications.
Fiber Optics Touch Our Daily Lives
With the technological advances in the communication industry, it is now inevitable that fibre optics is part and parcel of human life. The advent of optical fibre has indeed made a big revolutionary in the way people dispatch and receive information. For example, people use telephone lines to inform, communicate and deliver business or private information to other people staying far. As if that is not enough, there came first, second third and fourth generation technologies, which permit cellular communication. Directly or indirectly, these technologies rely on fibre optics. In hospitals, fibre optics applies greatly for example, in surgical operations. In todays digital communication technology, fibre optics seems to replace satellite communication, which previously offered internet services. People are now moving to a faster and efficient internet superhighway, optical communication technology.
Fibre optics remains one of the most acclaimed technologies so far. Widely applied in hospitals, communication industry, supermarkets, airports and manufacturing industries, optical fibres continue to make the life of people easier and easier. Optical fibres remain the fastest mode of transmitting data in form of light signals. The advent of optic fibres in the recent years has enabled scientist to overcome the many hiccups experienced in many a scientific fields. For instance, the medical fraternity is able to save lives courtesy of a gastroscope, which can observe hidden organs without rupture of other organs.
Fibre optic cables are appreciated in the scientific world because of their advantages over the copper wire transmitters. While the copper wires succumb to external interference, fibre optic cables are interference free enabling the signals to be transmitted intact as it were before to the recipient end. Nevertheless, on using copper wire transmitters for data transmission, one risks losing data which is a rare occurrence with fibre optic cables. It is thus, undoubtedly that, the fibre optic cables have revolutionized data transmission surpassing the setback experienced by the copper wire data transmitters.
Fibre optic cables manufacturers give us many options with respect to the type of application at hand. It is this versatility of fibre optic cables that has enabled it to find applications in many scientific fields catering for an array of professions. This mode of data transmission has relegated both the copper wire transmitters and satellite as a means of data transfer. With the ever evolving fibre optics technology, there is an imminent paradigm shift towards people embracing this technology rendering copper wire transfer and satellite obsolete.
References
Fiberoptics Technology Incorporated. (2001). Fibre Types. Web.
Hitchcock, R. (2009). Fibre Optics. Web.
Tripod. (2010). Physics of Optical Fibres. Web.
Wang, J., Nuccio, R, S., Huang, H., Wang, X., & Willner, A. (2010). Optical data exchange of 100-Gbit/s DQPSK signals. Journal for RIN transfer in 2nd-order distributed amplification with ultralong fiber lasers 18 (23),23740-23745. Woodford, C. (2009). Fibre Optics. Web.
Appendix
Attenuation- the plodding loss of intensity of a certain signal with distance
Buffer Coating the outermost layer of an optical fibre whose responsibility is to protect the fibre against moisture or damages
Cladding the layer that immediately follows the core and is responsible for retaining light in the core
Core- the innermost layer of an optical fibre responsible for carrying and transmitting light pulses
Fibre Optics- the science and engineering of design, manufacturing and application of optical fibres
Multi-mode Fibre an optical fibre twice the size of single-mode fibres and can allow transmission of light under different wavelengths
Optical Fibre- an optically transparent glass material that allow transmission of light
Propagation- the movement of a wave (light) in respect to the direction of propagation
Single-mode Fibre an optical fibre with single waveguide, usually has a diameter ranging between 5 and 10 microns
Total internal reflection- a physics principle in which light transmitted at certain angle reflect back at similar or different angles
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