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step-index fibre
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Figure 11: The forming of stepped-index optical fibre, using the double-crucible technique. Glass rods containing the core-glass and cladding-glass compositions of the eventual fibre are fed into two concentric platinum crucibles, which are heated in a silica-lined furnace. The two compositions melt under an inert atmosphere and flow through an orifice as a composite, concentric stream, the diameter of which is monitored by a fibre diameter scanner. After passing through primary and secondary polymer coatings and curing ovens (which cure the protective coatings through thermal or ultraviolet energy), the solidified optical fibre is wound around a capstan and onto a take-up reel.
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step-index fibre

Also known as: SI fibre, stepped-index fibre
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Figure 11: The forming of stepped-index optical fibre, using the double-crucible technique. Glass rods containing the core-glass and cladding-glass compositions of the eventual fibre are fed into two concentric platinum crucibles, which are heated in a silica-lined furnace. The two compositions melt under an inert atmosphere and flow through an orifice as a composite, concentric stream, the diameter of which is monitored by a fibre diameter scanner. After passing through primary and secondary polymer coatings and curing ovens (which cure the protective coatings through thermal or ultraviolet energy), the solidified optical fibre is wound around a capstan and onto a take-up reel.
Figure 11: The forming of stepped-index optical fibre, using the double-crucible technique. Glass rods containing the core-glass and cladding-glass compositions of the eventual fibre are fed into two concentric platinum crucibles, which are heated in a silica-lined furnace. The two compositions melt under an inert atmosphere and flow through an orifice as a composite, concentric stream, the diameter of which is monitored by a fibre diameter scanner. After passing through primary and secondary polymer coatings and curing ovens (which cure the protective coatings through thermal or ultraviolet energy), the solidified optical fibre is wound around a capstan and onto a take-up reel.

A step-index fiber is a type of optical fiber used for transmitting information via pulses of light. It consists of a core made of glass, surrounded by a cladding of glass with a lower refractive index. This difference in refractive index causes light to be totally reflected back into the core when it strikes the core-cladding boundary at an appropriate angle, allowing the light to travel long distances with minimal distortion.12

Step-index fibers can be either single-mode, with a core diameter of about 10 micrometers, or multimode, with a larger core diameter, typically 50 micrometers or more. The core and cladding have a sharply defined interface, which is characteristic of this fiber type.2

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. telecommunications media - Optical fibres
  2. industrial glass - Properties

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