Methods and systems for processing optical fibers
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsRavindra Kumar Akarapu, Ming-Jun Li, Anping Liu, Barada Kanta Nayak, Bruce Warren Reding
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Abstract
A method and corresponding apparatus for processing optical fiber include directing light from a directed light source toward an optical fiber on a fiber draw. A fiber core of the optical fiber is heated, using at least the light from the directed light source, to a fiber core temperature within a glass transformation temperature range of the fiber core. The method can be used to reduce fictive temperature of the fiber core, with Rayleigh scattering being reduced, leading to lower attenuation losses in the fiber core.
Claims23
A method of processing optical fiber, the method comprising:
- directing light from a directed light source toward an optical fiber on a fiber draw;
- and
- heating a fiber core of the optical fiber, using at least the light from the directed light source, to a fiber core temperature within a glass transformation temperature range of the fiber core.
A system for processing optical fiber, the system comprising:
- a light-based optical fiber heater including:
- (i) a directed light source;
- and
- (ii) a light director configured to direct light from the light source to an optical fiber on a fiber draw,
- the fiber heater configured to heat a fiber core of the optical fiber to a fiber core temperature within a glass transformation temperature range of the fiber core.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.