What is the relationship between core and cladding in an optical fiber referred to as?

The relationship between core and cladding in an optical fiber is referred to as refraction. This phenomenon occurs when light travels from one medium (the core) to another (the cladding) that has a different refractive index. Within an optical fiber, the core is designed to have a higher refractive index than the cladding, allowing light to be guided through the core by total internal reflection. This principle is essential for the operation of the fiber since it ensures that the light signals remain contained within the core, minimizing loss and maintaining signal integrity over long distances.

Refraction is critical to understanding how optical fibers transmit data, as it highlights the importance of the different materials used in the core and cladding. By manipulating the refractive indices of these components, engineers can optimize fiber designs for better performance, such as increased bandwidth and reduced signal loss.

Other options do not directly address the core-cladding relationship. Modal dispersion refers to the spreading of light signals due to overlapping modes in multimode fibers and does not explain the interaction between core and cladding. Crosstalk relates to interference between different signal paths and does not pertain to the physical interaction of core and cladding. Geometry pertains to the overall shape and dimensions of the fiber but does