
Chapter 2
Light-Guiding Fundamentals
and Fiber Design
Robert Lingle, Jr., David W. Peckham, Alan McCurdy,
and Jinkee Kim
OFS Corporate R&D, Norcross, Georgia
2.1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the fundamental concepts of the
guidance of light in optical fibers made from dielectric materials such as silica
(SiO
2
), with an emphasis on optical transmission properties relevant to commu-
nications. Some attempt is made to describe fiber properties by explaining how
practical measurement issues influence our understanding and application of the
theory. This chapter focuses on the properties of fibers intended for single-mode
transmission ...