Diagram of Different Types of Optical Fibre Poster

An optical fibre is a flexible, transparent fibre made of very pure glass (silica) not much wider than a human hair that acts as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fibre. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of optical fibres is known as fibre optics. Optical fibres are widely used in fibre-optic communications, which permits transmission over longer distances and at higher bandwidths (data rates) than other forms of communication. Fibres are used instead of metal wires because signals travel along them with less loss and are also immune to electromagnetic interference. Fibres are also used for illumination, and are wrapped in bundles so they can be used to carry images, thus allowing viewing in tight spaces. Specially designed fibres are used for a variety of other applications, including sensors and fibre lasers. Image reproduction rights can be found in the link near the bottom of this description. Sign up to Mr. Rebates for FREE and save 12% on any zazzle order in addition to a $5.00 sign up bonus All Rights Reserved; without: prejudice, recourse or notice (U.C.C. 1-308) Image Reproduction Rights: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Optical_fiber_types.svg "optical fibre" "fibre optics" wire fibre optic "light pipe" communication chart diagram wire