ABSTRACT
Unquestionably, silica-based optical fibers are the waveguides of the present and the future. Currently, optical fibers carry the bulk of international and domestic telecommunications, and soon all homes will be connected to the central offices by optical fibers, providing telephone, internet and multi-channel high-definition television services. Optical fibers are revolutionizing distributed and point sensing, while fiber lasers can be made to emit extremely coherent and low noise beams, as well as kilowatts of optical power. Fibers are small in size, light in weight, and being dielectric (SiO2), they do not emit electromagnetic radiation, nor are they affected by such radiation. Finally, they are low cost.
