Glass fibers for optical communications

Glass optical waveguides with attenuations below 20 dB/km have made possible a new approach to optical communications. These glass fibers satisfy requirements for transmission over kilometer lengths with experimental systems utilizing existing devices for sources and detectors. The realization of material and fabrication advances necessary for this accomplishment are the topic of this paper. Basic theoretical principles are introduced in a review fashion. The application of these principles in choice of materials and fabrication is described. Results in fiber performance following this framework are given in a section on evaluation, which includes information capacity, attenuation, and some environmental requirements. Preliminary experiments in bundling and cabling are discussed, followed by concluding remarks.