
53-1
53.1 Introduction
Fiber optics is a fundamental part of most computer and communications networks and devices.
is chapter focuses on the principle of ber-optics for a variety of applications mainly in telecom-
munications
an
d
b
er-optic
se
nsors
. St
arting
fr
om
th
e
ve
ry
ba
sic
co
ncepts
of op
tics
an
d
ph
otonic
sy
stems,
th
e
pr
inciples
of th
e
lo
ss
me
chanism
in b
ers
ar
e
ex
plained
in de
tail
in
cluding
ex
trinsic
(b
ending,
co
nnector,
an
d
la
unching)
lo
sses
an
d
in
trinsic
(a
bsorption
an
d
sc
attering)
lo
sses
. e
lo
ss
me
chanisms
of b
er-optics
ar
e
ex
plained
in de
tail
fo
r
se
nsor
ap
plications
an
d
tr
aditional
op
ti-
cal
ti
me
do
main
re
ectometry
(O
TDR)