Since optical fiber cables provide faster data transmission rates than conventional copper cables, their use is growing. They are more dependable and resistant to electromagnetic interference, and because of their smaller form factor, they are simpler to install in confined spaces. Fibre optic cables come in single-mode and multimode varieties. The Difference between Single-mode and Multimode Fiber will be discussed in this article.
What is Single-mode Fiber?
- An optical fiber with a core diameter of only 8 to 10 microns is known as a single-mode fiber optic cable.
- Due to the cable’s small size, only one light beam can pass through its core at once, reducing the amount of reflections that take place.
- This lessens the attenuation of the signal and enables the transmission of data over greater distances.
- Applications requiring the transmission of data over long distances, like telecommunications networks and long-distance data transmission, use single-mode fiber.
What is Multimode Fiber?
- The core diameter of multimode fiber optic cable is greater, ranging from 50 to 100 microns.
- This larger size enables the simultaneous passage of multiple light beams down the cable’s core. Higher bandwidth and faster data transmission rates over closer distances are the results of this.
- Applications requiring the transmission of data over shorter distances, such as local area networks (LANs), data centers, and video surveillance systems, use multimode fiber.
Difference between Single-mode and Multimode Fiber
- The following table highlights the major differences between Single-Mode Fiber and Multimode Fiber:
| Sr. No. | Singlemode Fiber | Multimode Fiber |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Light can propagate through the fiber in only one mode. | Light can propagate through the fiber with a large number of atoms. |
| 2. | The fiber core diameter is very small (∼10μm) and also, the difference between the refractive indices of the core and cladding is very small. | The fiber core diameter is large and also, and the difference in refractive indices of the core-cladding is also large. |
| 3. | Since light propagates in a single mode, no dispersion occurs(i.e., no degradation of light signal takes place during propagation through the fiber). | Due to multimode propagation and material scattering, there is signal degradation. |
| 4. | Launching of light into the fiber and coupling process is not easy. | Launching of light into the fiber and coupling process is easy. |
| 5. | used in long haul communication. | used in LAN (Local Area Network). |
| 6. | Since, the fabrication is difficult, the production cost is high. | Since the fabrication is difficult, the production cost is low. |
Conclusion
- In conclusion, there are a number of differences between single-mode and multimode fiber optic cables that allow for different application suitability. Single-mode fibers are more expensive than multimode fibers and have a smaller core diameter and lower attenuation. They are utilized in situations where data transmission over greater distances is necessary. In comparison to single-mode fibers, multimode fibers are less expensive and have a larger core diameter and higher attenuation. They are utilized in situations where data transmission over shorter distances is necessary.
