What is the difference between single mode and multimode fiber optics?

The difference between single-mode and multi-mode optical fibers lies in core diameter, transmission loss, transmission distance, transmission bandwidth and application scenarios. Detailed introduction: 1. Core diameter, the core diameter of single-mode fiber is very small, usually 8-10 microns, while the core diameter of multi-mode fiber is larger, usually 50-62.5 microns; 2. Transmission loss, single-mode fiber The core diameter is small, and there is only one transmission mode when the optical signal propagates, so the attenuation of the optical signal during the transmission process is small, and the transmission loss is also low. The core diameter of the multimode fiber is large, and the optical signal has multiple transmission modes, etc. .

# Operating system for this tutorial: Windows 10 system, Dell G3 computer.

Optical fiber is a communication medium used to transmit optical signals. It can be divided into single-mode optical fiber and multi-mode optical fiber. Single-mode optical fiber and multi-mode optical fiber are structurally different and have different transmission characteristics and application scenarios. Below I will explain in detail the difference between single-mode fiber and multi-mode fiber.

First of all, the core diameters of single-mode fiber and multi-mode fiber are different. Single-mode fiber has a very small core diameter, typically 8-10 microns, while multimode fiber has a larger core diameter, typically 50-62.5 microns. Due to the small core diameter of single-mode fiber, optical signals can only propagate along one path when transmitted in the fiber, that is, there is only one transmission mode. The core diameter of multimode fiber is larger, and optical signals can propagate along multiple paths, that is, there are multiple transmission modes.

Secondly, the transmission losses of single-mode fiber and multi-mode fiber are different. Due to the small core diameter of single-mode fiber, there is only one transmission mode when optical signals propagate, so the attenuation of optical signals during transmission is small and the transmission loss is also low. The core diameter of multimode optical fiber is large, and optical signals have multiple transmission modes. Different modes of optical signals will propagate at different speeds, causing dispersion of optical signals during the transmission process, thereby increasing transmission losses.

Again, the transmission distances of single-mode fiber and multi-mode fiber are different. Since single-mode fiber has lower transmission loss, single-mode fiber can transmit longer distances. In fiber optic communications, single-mode optical fiber can usually transmit distances of tens or even hundreds of kilometers. Due to the large transmission loss of multi-mode optical fiber, its transmission distance is short, generally between a few hundred meters to several kilometers.

In addition, the transmission bandwidths of single-mode optical fiber and multi-mode optical fiber are also different. Since single-mode fiber has only one transmission mode, it can support higher transmission bandwidth. In single-mode fiber, the transmission speed of optical signals is very fast, reaching 67% of the speed of light. Due to the existence of multiple transmission modes, multi-mode optical fiber has a low transmission bandwidth and a relatively slow transmission speed.

Finally, the application scenarios of single-mode fiber and multi-mode fiber are also different. Since single-mode optical fiber has lower transmission loss and longer transmission distance, it is usually used for long-distance optical fiber communications, such as metropolitan area networks, wide area networks, and long-distance communications. Due to the relatively large transmission loss of multi-mode optical fiber, it is usually used for short-distance optical fiber communications, such as data centers, local area networks and short-distance video transmission.

To sum up, there are differences between single-mode optical fiber and multi-mode optical fiber in terms of core diameter, transmission loss, transmission distance, transmission bandwidth and application scenarios. The choice of which fiber to use should be based on specific needs and application scenarios.

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