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Transporting
Light By
Fibre
Optic Refraction
And Reflection
Light
is refracted when it travels through transparent materials of different
densities. The fibre optic cable's transparent core has a
higher
refractive index
than the less dense transparent cladding that surrounds it. The angle
of incidence or refraction in the less dense lower refractive index
transparent material is always larger than the angle of incidence or
refraction in the denser higher refractive index transparent material.
The angle of incidence of the core is smaller than the angle
of
refraction of the cladding.
The
difference in the refractive indices directs the
sunlight through
the cable by a process called total internal reflection. When the
incident angle in the core equals the critical angle, the refracted
light travels along the boundary between the two materials. When the
angle of
incidence in the core is greater than the critical angle all of the
light is reflected and not refracted. The light travels by reflection
through the fibre optic cable.
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