This is a list of fiber optic terms derived from the Glossary of Telecommunication Terms published as Federal Standard 1037C. Please see the Federal Standard article for copyright-related issues, as not all parts of the source document are in the public domain.

See also list of optical topics.

acceptance angle -- acceptance cone -- aligned bundle -- all-silica fiber -- angle of incidence -- angle of refraction -- aramid yarn -- armor -- axial propagation constant -- bandwidth-distance product -- bound mode -- braid -- break out -- breakout cable -- buffer -- bundle -- cable -- cable cutoff wavelength (cc) -- cladding -- cladding diameter -- cladding mode -- cladding mode stripper -- cleave -- concentricity error -- core -- core area -- core diameter -- coupled modes -- coupling efficiency -- critical angle -- cutback technique -- cutoff mode -- cutoff wavelength -- deeply depressed cladding fiber -- dielectric waveguide -- differential quantum efficiency -- dispersion (optics) -- dispersion-shifted fiber -- dispersion-unshifted fiber -- dopant -- doubly clad fiber -- duplex cable -- effective mode volume -- electrical length -- end finish -- equilibrium length -- equilibrium mode distribution (EMD) -- equilibrium mode simulator -- evanescent field -- evanescent mode -- extrinsic joint loss -- fiber amplifier -- fiber optic cable -- fiber optic link -- fiber optics (FO) -- first window -- flooding compound -- fundamental mode -- fusion splice -- gap loss -- gap-loss attenuator -- gel -- glass -- graded-index fiber -- graded-index profile -- group delay -- group index -- group velocity -- guided ray -- hockey puck -- homogeneous cladding -- hybrid cable -- hybrid mode -- hydroxyl ion absorption -- inclusion -- index dip -- index-matching material -- insertion loss -- intensity modulation (IM) -- intramodal distortion -- intrinsic joint loss -- joint -- lateral offset loss -- launch angle -- launching fiber -- launch numerical aperture (LNA) -- lay length -- leaky mode -- leaky ray -- long wavelength -- macrobend -- macrobend loss -- mandrel wrapping -- material dispersion coefficient [M()] -- material scattering -- mechanical splice -- meridional ray -- microbend -- minimum bend radius -- minimum-dispersion window -- minimum-loss window -- modal distribution -- modal loss -- modal noise -- mode -- mode coupling -- mode field diameter (MFD) -- mode partition noise -- mode scrambler -- mode volume -- multifiber cable -- multifiber joint -- multimode distortion -- multimode optical fiber -- near-field region -- near-field scanning -- nonlinear scattering -- numerical aperture loss -- numerical aperture (NA ) -- OFC -- OFN -- OFNP -- OFNR -- open waveguide -- optical connector -- optical fiber -- optical isolator -- optical junction -- ovality -- overfill -- parabolic profile -- PCS fiber -- phase term -- pigtail -- plastic-clad silica fiber -- polarization-maintaining optical fiber (PM) -- power-law index profile -- precision-sleeve splicing -- primary coating -- profile parameter (g ) -- quadruply clad fiber -- radiation angle -- radiation-hardened fiber -- radiation mode -- radiation pattern -- reference surface -- reflection loss -- refracted ray -- refractive index contrast -- refractive index (n, ) -- refractive index profile -- ribbon cable -- rip cord -- scattering center -- second window -- short wavelength -- silica -- single-mode optical fiber -- skew ray -- slab-dielectric waveguide -- soliton -- SONET -- spectral loss curve -- splice loss -- splice organizer -- star coupler -- step-index fiber -- step-index profile -- strength member -- substitution method -- surface wave -- tap -- tapered fiber -- T-coupler -- terminus -- thin-film optical waveguide -- third window -- tolerance field -- transmitter central wavelength range (max- min) -- transverse electric and magnetic mode (TEM) -- transverse electric mode (TE) -- transverse magnetic mode (TM) -- traveling wave -- vertex angle -- waveguide -- weakly guiding fiber -- window -- zero-dispersion slope -- zero-dispersion wavelength -- zip-cord