Core
The light-conducting center of an optical fiber, defined by the region of high refractive index.
The core is the part of the fiber that carries the light signal that has information impressed upon it. The fiber optic core is made of very pure glass and its diameter is measured in microns.
1. The central region about the longitudinal axis of an optical fiber, which region supports guiding of the optical signal.
Note 1: For the fiber to guide the optical signal, the refractive index of the core must be slightly higher than that of the cladding.
Note 2: In different types of fibers, the core and core-cladding boundary function slightly differently in guiding the signal. Especially in single-mode fibers, a significant fraction of the energy in the bound mode travels in the cladding.
2. A piece of ferromagnetic material, usually toroidal in shape, used as a component in a computer memory device. Note: The type of memory referred to has very limited application in today's computer environment. It has been largely replaced by semiconductor and other technologies.
3. The material at the center of an electromechanical relay or solenoid, about which the coil is wound.
Core: Image shows the core of a fiber optic cable in relation to its other layers
To learn more about Core, you can submit us a web request, or call Timbercon today, 1-800-221-6992, to get in contact with our experienced sales engineers.
Related glossary terms:
Core Eccentricity Large Core Fiber Core Diameter Fiber Core Core Area Core Less End Caps Core Ellipticity
Search more fiber optic glossary terms:
External links for definition of Core:
Search Core on Wikipedia
Search Core on Google
Search Core on Yahoo!
Search Core on Answers
Search Core on The Free Dictionary
Suggestions? The Timbercon fiber optic glossary continues to expand and improve. If you have suggestions for improvement, we would enjoy hearing from you. Please contact the
webmaster here.
