optical fiber
optical fiber: 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 light to be guided by the fiber. Synonym lightguide.
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