Fiber Optical Communication

Fiber optical communication is based on the principle of light transmission through a fine glass fiber by total internal reflection. A first demonstration of the guiding of light by total internal reflection was given by John Tyndall in 1870. In front of an audience of the Royal Academy of London, he demonstrated that light illuminating the top surface of water in a pail can be guided along a semi-arc of water streaming out through a hole in the side of the pail. Tremendous progress has been made since then, and thin glass fiber is now a viable means of transmission of light for communications.