ABSTRACT
In this Part of the Handbook, an introduction to the description of the transmission of light along
dielectric optical fibres and waveguides is presented in terms of a ray analysis for multimode propagation
and in terms of a modal analysis for single-and few-mode propagation. Whilst the emphasis will be on
fibre propagation, the methods presented here are applicable to any type of waveguide, irrespective of
material composition. To cater for a wider range of backgrounds in optics and electromagnetism, there
is a low-level introduction leading into more advanced topics. Accordingly, some readers may wish to
skip the earlier Sections A1.5.1 and A1.5.2. This Part is relatively self-contained and explanatory, and
referencing to other material has been kept to a minimum.
