2010 I.T.CAMP
光導纖維，簡稱光纖，是一種達致光在玻璃或塑料製成的纖維中的全反射原理傳輸的光傳導工具。微細的光纖封裝在塑料護套中，使得它能夠彎曲而不至於斷裂。通常光纖的一端的發射裝置使用發光二極體或一束激光將光脈衝傳送至光纖，光纖的另一端的接收裝置使用光敏元件檢測脈衝。包含光纖的线缆称为光缆。由於光在光導纖維的傳輸損失比電在電線傳導的損耗低得多，而且光的傳輸速度比電快很多，更因為主要生產原料是矽，蘊藏量極大，較易開採，所以價格便宜，促使光纖被用作長距離的信息傳遞工具。隨著光纖的價格進一步降低，光纖也被用於醫療和娛樂的用途。
光纖主要分為兩類，漸變光纖與突變光纖。前者的折射率是漸變的，而後者的折射率是突變的。另外還分為單模光纖及多模光纖。近年來，又有新的光子晶體光纖問世。
光导纤维是双重构造，核心部分是高折射率玻璃，表层部分是低折射率的玻璃或塑料，光在核心部分傳輸，并在表层交界处不断进行全反射，沿“之”字形向前傳輸。这种纤维比头发丝还细，这样细的纤维要有折射率截然不同的双重结构分布，是一个非常惊人的技术。各国科学家经过多年努力，创造了内附着法、MCVD法、VAD法等等，制成了超高纯石英玻璃，特制成的光导纤维傳輸光的效率有了非常明显的提高。现在较好的光导纤维，其光傳輸損失每公里只有零点二分贝；也就是说传播一公里后只損失4.5％。
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Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. The light forms an electromagneticcarrier wave that is modulated to carry information. First developed in the 1970s, fiber-optic communication systems have revolutionized the telecommunications industry and have played a major role in the advent of the Information Age. Because of its advantages over electrical transmission, optical fibers have largely replaced copper wire communications in core networks in the developed world.
The process of communicating using fiber-optics involves the following basic steps: Creating the optical signal involving the use of a transmitter, relaying the signal along the fiber, ensuring that the signal does not become too distorted or weak, receiving the optical signal, and converting it into an electrical signal.