In contrast to electrical systems dominated by electron flow dynamics, what governs attenuation in glass fiber optics?

Answer

Interactions between photons and the silica structure.

Copper loss is dominated by resistance and skin effect (electron flow dynamics), whereas optical fiber attenuation is governed by physical phenomena like absorption due to impurities and scattering interactions between photons and the silica structure.

In contrast to electrical systems dominated by electron flow dynamics, what governs attenuation in glass fiber optics?
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