Historical contribution
What Hockham contributed
Kao and Hockham's 1966 analysis argued that impurities rather than an unavoidable physical limit explained contemporary glass loss, establishing a credible path toward low-loss optical communication.
Why it mattered
Carries high-rate signals over long distances with low attenuation and extensive wavelength multiplexing compared with electrical conductors.
Connected topics
Where this fits in ITEM
Evidence
Sources and further reading
- Dielectric-Fibre Surface Waveguides for Optical Frequencies, Proceedings of the IEE, 1966
K. C. Kao, G. A. Hockham · 1966