Optical fibers produced in microgravity environments and method of production

A method of producing optical fibers in a micro gravity environment comprising the steps of:

• a. preparing a preform, the preform comprising an upper end and a lower end, the lower end comprising a tip, the preform further comprising a core material configured to be drawn into a fiber, the core material comprising ZBLAN, InF3, GeO2, or Chalcogenide, the preform further comprising an external coating made of a chemical composition with a lower refractive index compared with the core material to provide a cladding of the fiber;
• b. modifying the preform by inserting a thin lead wire into the lower end of the preform;
• c. placing the preform and a spring loaded pusher into a preform holder located in a miniature optical fiber draw tower (MOFDT) assembly, the MOFDT assembly comprising a body, the MOFDT body comprising a top and a bottom, the MOFDT assembly further comprising control systems, coating systems, a curing system, and a take up spool located at the bottom of the MOFDT body, so that the preform's lower end and the lead wire are inserted first followed by the preform's upper end;
• d. closing the preform holder so that the spring loaded pusher ends up in firm contact with the upper end of the preform resulting in the preform having a steady pressure forcing it inwards towards the bottom of the MOFDT body;
• e. threading the lead wire through a tensioner/guide of the MOFDT assembly;
• f. wrapping the lead wire around the take up spool located at the bottom of the MOFDT body;
• g. closing and sealing a MOFDT container;
• h. placing the MOFDT container in a microgravity environment;
• i. using a radio signal to send a command to the MODFT control systems to start operation;
• j. heating a furnace which forms a funnel around the lower end of the preform;
• k. monitoring a temperature of the furnace with the MOFDT control systems;
• l. signaling the take up spool to begin rotating once the control systems determine that the tip of the lower end of the preform has become viscous or “taffy like”;
• m. rotating the take up spool to continue winding the lead wire around the spool and also begins pulling the material from the preform into a thin fiber;
• n. monitoring a diameter of the pulled optical fiber by a laser-based diameter gauge;
• o. sampling the diameter of the fiber at a rate greater than 500 times per second;
• p. controlling the diameter of the optical fiber by speeding up the take up spool rotation when the optical fiber diameter increases and slowing the take up spool rotation when the optical fiber diameter decreases;
• q. using the coating system to spray on an acrylic/polymer to coat the fiber with an exact number and type of coatings desired, the number and type being variable and depending on a specific application of the fiber;
• r. illuminating the fiber as it is pulled past the curing system until the coatings are hardened;
• s. winding the illuminated fiber on to the take up spool located al the bottom of the MOFDT;
• and
• t. continuing operation until the MOFDT control systems receive a command to stop operation.