What is the term for the loss of power in light pulses traveling through optical fiber?

The term that describes the loss of power in light pulses traveling through optical fiber is attenuation. This phenomenon occurs due to various factors, including scattering, bending, and absorption that happen as the light travels through the fiber optic material. Essentially, attenuation measures how much the signal diminishes per unit length, and is typically expressed in decibels per kilometer (dB/km). It's a crucial concept in fiber optics because it impacts the overall performance and distance capabilities of optical networks.

Signal degradation can refer more broadly to any reduction in the quality of a signal, which might occur for a variety of reasons beyond just the inherent properties of the fiber, such as interference or poor connections. Absorption is one specific cause of attenuation where energy is lost as the light is absorbed by the material itself, but attenuation encompasses all loss mechanisms. Diffraction relates to the bending of light waves around obstacles or through openings and does not directly pertain to signal loss in fiber. Understanding attenuation is fundamental for technicians working with optical fibers, as managing it ensures that signals can effectively transmit over long distances.