How do LED and laser light sources differ?

LEDs and lasers are both important light sources used in fiber optics, but they significantly differ in how they emit light. LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes, produce incoherent light, which means that the light waves they emit do not maintain a constant phase relationship. This results in a broad spectrum of wavelengths, leading to a diverse range of colors and lower intensity overall. Because of this incoherent emission, LEDs create a less focused beam of light.

On the other hand, lasers, which stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, emit coherent light. This means the light waves are well-organized and in phase, allowing them to be highly concentrated in a narrow beam with a very specific wavelength. This coherence is what gives laser light its intensity and directional properties, making it more effective for long-distance transmission in fiber optic applications.

This distinction in the nature of the emitted light directly impacts the performance and applications of each source in fiber optics, such as the ability of lasers to transmit signals over greater distances with less loss compared to LEDs.