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multimode fiber
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Diagram showing the structure of a fibre-optic cable on the left, with labeled layers including bundled optical fibers, strength element, copper pipe, steel strands, and protective sheath. On the right, three types of optical fibers-single-mode, multimode graded-index, and multimode stepped-index-are illustrated, each with diagrams of how light travels through their cores and cladding.
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multimode fiber

communications technology
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Diagram showing the structure of a fibre-optic cable on the left, with labeled layers including bundled optical fibers, strength element, copper pipe, steel strands, and protective sheath. On the right, three types of optical fibers-single-mode, multimode graded-index, and multimode stepped-index-are illustrated, each with diagrams of how light travels through their cores and cladding.
optical fibres (Left) Cutaway drawing of an optical fibre cable, showing bundled fibres and protective sheathing; (right) schematic drawing of three types of optical fibres, showing propagation of light rays and refractive indexes.

Multimode fiber is a type of optical fiber used in communications technology. It allows light signals to travel through its core, enabling the transmission of data, voice, and images over distances. Unlike single-mode fibers, multimode fibers have a larger core diameter, which allows multiple light paths, or modes, to propagate simultaneously.12

This characteristic, however, leads to "multimode dispersion," where different light paths arrive at the destination at slightly different times. This can cause the signal to spread out and interfere with subsequent signals, particularly over longer distances. To mitigate this, graded-index (GI) multimode fibers are designed with a refractive index that gradually decreases from the center of the core to the edge, helping to equalize the travel times of different light modes.1

Multimode fibers are generally used for shorter-distance applications, such as within buildings or local area networks (LANs), due to the limitations imposed by multimode dispersion.12

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3 Britannica Sources
  1. telecommunications media - Optical fibres
  2. multimode
  3. fiber optics

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