ABSTRACT

The first applications to use waveguiding were the simplest, and included fibers for transmitting signals over long distances; endoscopes for imaging; and light pipes to gather photons or provide illumination. These are examples of passive applications and are analogous to bulk optics, such as mirrors and lenses, which control the propagation of light. Polymer fibers have practical advantages over glass fibers because of their low cost, light weight, and ease of splicing. For these reasons, plastic fibers have made inroads into local area networks and are expanding their influence into longer-distance applications.