What is attenuation (loss) specified as?

Attenuation in fiber optics refers to the reduction in power of the light signal as it travels through the fiber. It is quantified to express how much signal strength is lost per unit length of the fiber cable. This measurement is typically expressed in decibels (dB).

Using decibels allows for a logarithmic scale representation, which helps in managing the potentially wide range of signal strengths. When discussing fiber attenuation, a lower dB value indicates less loss and better performance, making it an efficient way to measure how effectively a fiber optic link can transmit the light signal over distances.

Other provided options do not serve as appropriate units for measuring attenuation. Microns refer to a unit of length, commonly used to describe the diameter of the fiber core. dBm is a unit of power level expressed in decibels relative to one milliwatt and is used for absolute power measurements rather than loss. Megabits is a unit of data rate, describing the speed of data transmission, not the loss of signal strength. Thus, decibels (dB) is the correct and standard unit for specifying attenuation in fiber optic communications.