Cladding (fiber optics)

Cladding in <a href="/facts/Optical_fiber/5ruuIFbj">optical fibers</a> is one or more layers of materials of lower <a href="/facts/Refractive_index/yjkzvgeE">refractive index</a> in intimate contact with a <a href="/facts/Core_(optical_fiber)/31ThGPA2">core</a> material of higher refractive index. 
The cladding causes light to be confined to the core of the fiber by <a href="/facts/Total_internal_reflection/Tm0M62NQ">total internal reflection</a> at the boundary between the core and cladding. Light propagation within the cladding is typically suppressed for most fibers. However, some fibers can support cladding modes in which light propagates through the cladding as well as the core. Depending upon the quantity of modes that are supported, they are referred to as <a href="/facts/Multi-mode_optical_fiber/tgSR57m6">multi-mode</a> fibers and <a href="/facts/Single-mode_optical_fiber/tVgBIPLp">single-mode</a> fibers. Improving transmission through fibers by applying a cladding was discovered in 1953 by Dutch scientist <a href="/facts/Bram_van_Heel/SjVHAM3G">Bram van Heel</a>.

Cladding (fiber optics) open-in-new

Cladding (fiber optics)