ForHosting KIT · Developer Utilities

Fiber relative refractive index difference

The relative refractive index difference of an optical fiber, written Δ (delta), quantifies how much the core index exceeds the cladding index in a normalized form used throughout waveguide theory.

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It appears in the definitions of numerical aperture, the normalized frequency (V-number), mode cutoff conditions, and weak-guidance approximations that turn a two-index fiber into a single contrast parameter. This fiber relative refractive index difference calculator accepts the core index n1 and cladding index n2, evaluates the exact textbook identity Δ equals (n1 squared minus n2 squared) over (two times n1 squared), and also reports the common weak-guidance approximation (n1 minus n2) over n1 together with the step-index numerical aperture. Results are deterministic finite arithmetic with stable rounding—no material database, no network lookup, and no sampling. Use the free browser path for homework and lab prep, or the API at $0.002 per successful request when you need reproducible Δ fixtures in design notes, CI, or tutoring software.

How to use it

Enter your values in the form above. The tool checks them before calculating and shows the result on the same page.

Check your inputs

Use the labels and units shown next to each field. If something is missing or outside the allowed range, the page points to the field to fix.

Use it again or automate it

Use the browser tool for individual checks and the API when you need the same capability in an automated workflow.

Get an answer now

Enter one set of values and see the result without building a spreadsheet or script.

Compare scenarios

Change one value at a time and rerun the calculation to understand what affects the result.

Automate repeated work

Use the API when the same calculation needs to run inside your product or workflow.

How do I use this capability?

Complete the fields above and run it on this page. The form highlights anything that needs attention.

Everything on this page is available programmatically. This section is for teams who want to wire it into their own systems; everyone else can just use the tool above.

POSThttps://api.kit.forhosting.com/optics/fiber-relative-index-difference

Prefer to automate it? One authenticated POST creates the task; the result comes back by webhook or a signed link. The same capability also runs here on the web, by email and from Telegram — and soon from our app too.

curl -X POST https://api.kit.forhosting.com/optics/fiber-relative-index-difference \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $KIT_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"n_core":1.48,"n_clad":1.46}'
{
  "n_core": 1.48,
  "n_clad": 1.46
}
{
  "task_id": "tsk_a1b2c3d4e5f6a1b2c3d4e5f6",
  "type": "optics.fiber_relative_index_difference",
  "status": "queued",
  "_links": {
    "result": "/tasks/tsk_…/result"
  }
}

The API is asynchronous: the call returns a task_id immediately and the result arrives by webhook. Polling is capped at 1 req/s per task.

Per request$0.002

Published price — no tokens, no invented credits. A failed task is never charged.

HTTPCodeMeaning
401unauthorizedMissing or invalid API key.
402insufficient_balanceYour balance doesn't cover the task price.
404unknown_typeThat task type doesn't exist.
429rate_limitedToo many requests. Use the webhook instead of polling.

Read the full KIT documentation →