Question

The main energy loss in optical fibers is equivalent to

• A. all of the above
• B. Material loss
• C. scattering loss
• D. bending loss

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

all of the above

Answer 2

Optical fibers experience energy loss through several mechanisms: material loss (absorption), scattering loss, and bending loss. All three are significant contributors to the overall energy attenuation in optical fibers. Therefore, "all of the above" is the most comprehensive answer.

Material Loss (Absorption Loss): This occurs when light energy is absorbed by the fiber material and converted into heat.

• Intrinsic Absorption: Due to the fundamental properties of the glass material.
• Extrinsic Absorption: Caused by impurities present in the fiber material.

Scattering Loss: This occurs when light is scattered out of the fiber core due to microscopic non-uniformities.

• Rayleigh Scattering: Dominant scattering mechanism, inversely proportional to the fourth power of the wavelength ($\lambda^{-4}$).
• Mie Scattering: Caused by larger imperfections.

Bending Loss: This occurs when the optical fiber is bent, causing light to escape.

• Macrobending Loss: Occurs when the fiber is bent with a large radius of curvature.
• Microbending Loss: Caused by minute, random bends.