Final answer:
The main disadvantage of using fiber optics to couple a television camera to an image intensifier is chromatic aberration, which can cause the image to be blurry due to differing focal points for each wavelength of light.
Step-by-step explanation:
The principal disadvantage to coupling the television camera to the image intensifier using fiber optics is related to the issue of chromatic aberration. This phenomenon occurs because different wavelengths of light that enter a transparent material, like the fibers of plastic or glass, focus at varying spots, leading to a blurry or fuzzy image. Fiber optics employ the principle of total internal reflection to transmit light, but the presence of chromatic aberration can significantly affect the image quality when coupling it to an image intensifier.
Despite the numerous advantages of fiber optics, such as low loss, allowing light to travel long distances without needing much amplification, and high bandwidth, supporting more data transmission compared to electrical (copper) systems, chromatic aberration is a limiting factor in certain applications like imaging systems. Efforts to mitigate this effect typically involve the use of additional lenses or filters, which can increase the complexity and cost of the system.