Multi-mode and Graded-index Fiber Quiz

• Multi-mode fiber is made from a fiber with a core diameter greater than 10 micrometers.
• Multi-mode fiber allows light to propagate down the fiber in rays both close to the axis and at various angles, allowing efficient coupling of light into the fiber.
• However, this high numerical aperture increases the amount of dispersion as rays at different angles have different path lengths and therefore take different amounts of time to traverse the fiber.
• In graded-index fiber, the index of refraction in the core decreases continuously between the axis and the cladding.
• The resulting curved paths reduce multi-path dispersion because high-angle rays pass more through the lower-index periphery of the core, rather than the high-index center.
• The index profile is chosen to minimize the difference in axial propagation speeds of the various rays in the fiber.

Test your knowledge on multi-mode and graded-index fiber optics with this quiz. Learn about the characteristics of multi-mode fiber and how graded-index fiber reduces multi-path dispersion.