This document contains 5 slides about fiber optics: 1. Fiber optics use thin glass strands to carry digital information over long distances using total internal reflection. 2. Light travels through the fiber optic core by constantly bouncing off the cladding in a process called total internal reflection, allowing it to travel great distances without absorbing light. 3. At the receiving end, an optical receiver decodes the digital light signals and sends the electrical signal to the intended device, using a photodiode to detect the light.

1. Individual Slide Presentation
1 : How Fiber Optics Work (1)
2 : How Fiber Optics Work (2)
3 : Fiber-Optic Relay System
4 : How Are Optical Fibers Made?
5 : More Great Links
s1170159 Ryo Tanji

2. How Fiber Optics Work
Fiber-optic lines are strands of optically pure
glass as thin as a human hair that carry digital
information over long distances. They are also
used in medical imaging and mechanical
engineering inspection.

3. How Fiber Optics Work (2)
How Does an Optical Fiber Transmit Light?
The light in a fiber-optic cable travels through
the core (hallway) by constantly bouncing from
the cladding (mirror-lined walls), a principle called
total internal reflection. Because the cladding
does not absorb any light from the core, the light
wave can travel great distances.

4. Fiber-Optic Relay System
The optical receiver is like the sailor on the deck
of the receiving ship. It takes the incoming digital
light signals, decodes them and sends the
electrical signal to the other user's computer, TV
or telephone (receiving ship's captain). The
receiver uses a photocell or photodiode to detect
the light.

5. How Are Optical Fibers Made?
Optical fibers are made of extremely pure
optical glass. glass window as transparent, but
the thicker the glass gets, the less transparent it
becomes due to impurities in the glass.
If you were on top of an ocean that is miles of
solid core optical fiber glass, you could see the
bottom clearly.

6. More Great Links
* Communications Specialties: Introduction to
Fiber Optics
* StarTech.com: What are Fiber Optics?
* Fiberoptics Online
* Fiberoptic Product News Online
* Schott Fiber Optics: Introduction to fiber optic
imaging