A flat, circular, plastic disk coated with material on which bits may be stored in the form of highly reflective areas and significantly less reflective areas, from which the stored data may be read when illuminated with a narrow-beam source, such as a laser diode.
Note: The bits are stored sequentially on a continuous spiral track.

See dispersion.

A filament of transparent dielectric material, usually glass or plastic, and usually circular in cross section, that guides light.
Note 1: An optical fiber usually has a cylindrical core surrounded by, and in intimate contact with, a cladding of similar geometry.
Note 2: The refractive index of the core must be slightly higher than that of the cladding for the… (Read More →)

See fiber optic cable.

See primary coating.

See sheath.

See fiber optic link.

Design allowances made to prevent or ameliorate the effects of gamma or high-energy neutron radiation or bombardment, that causes some optical fibers to darken, increase attenuation, or depart from normal operating parameters.
Note: Light sources, such as LEDs and lasers, and photodetectors, also need to be hardened to prevent similar malfunctions. [From Weik '89]

See transfer function.

See optical fiber.