Based on the mode of propagation of light, optical fiber cables have two different types.
a. Multimode Optical Fiber Cable: At wavelengths of 850 nm or 1300 nm, multimode fiber (MMF) enables the simultaneous transmission of several data streams.
b. Singlemode Optical Fiber Cable: Singlemode fiber (SMF) has a single light route that can traverse great distances and has a significantly smaller core size.
Based on materials, optical fiber cables are divided into two types.
a. Plastic Optical Fiber Cable: The main substance for light transmission is poly(methyl methacrylate).
b. Glass Optical Fiber Cable: It is made out of a mass of glass fibers. Light travels through each individual glass fiber from the light source to the fiber's opposite end.
Lastly, based on the refractive index, optical fiber cable is divided into two different types.
a. Step-Index optical fiber cable: Step-index fibers feature a symmetrical core with one index of refraction and a lesser index of refraction on the uniform cladding. The simplest type of optical fiber has a cylindrical silica glass core that is encircled by cladding with a lower refractive index than the core.
b. Graded-Index optical fiber cable: As the radial distance from the fiber axis rises, the optical fiber's refractive index falls. Graded-index fibers are often utilized in the telecom industry by grading the index of refraction of the core such that it gradually tapers between both the core center and the cladding. It lowers multimode dispersion.