In
fiber-optic communication, a single-mode optical fiber (SMF) is an
optical fiber designed to carry only a single
ray of light (mode). This ray of light often contains a variety of different
wavelengths. Although the ray travels parallel to the length of the fiber, it is often called the
transverse mode since its electromagnetic vibrations occur perpendicular (transverse) to the length of the fiber. Single-mode optical fibers are also called monomode optical fibers, single-mode optical waveguides, or unimode fibers.
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