What is the role of the cladding in optical fiber, and how does its refractive index relate to that of the core?

The cladding in optical fiber plays a critical role in enabling light transmission through the fiber. Its primary role is to confine the light within the core of the fiber through a phenomenon called total internal reflection. The cladding is the outer layer of glass that surrounds the core, which is the central region of the fiber that carries the light signal. The refractive index of the cladding is lower than that of the core. The refractive index is a measure of how much light bends when passing from one medium to another. For total internal reflection to occur, light must travel from a medium with a higher refra....