Method and apparatus for fabrication of metal-coated optical fiber, and the resulting optical fiber

A method for producing metal-coated optical fiber, said method comprising:

• (a) providing a length of optical fiber having a glass fiber surrounded by a water soluble polymeric coating;
• (b) passing said optical fiber through a water bath to remove said polymeric coating;
• (c) passing said glass fiber through at least one solution bath after removal of said polymeric coating such that the glass fiber will contact solution therein for a predetermined dwell time in order to achieve electroless plating of metal on the glass fiber, wherein the glass fiber passes through the at least one solution bath without contacting anything except for the in the at least one solution bath and wherein the at least one solution bath comprises a vessel having inlet and outlet holes through which said optical fiber passes horizontally without contacting said vessel;
• and
• (d) collecting the optical fiber after metal plating so that a selected quantity of said metal-coated optical fiber is gathered.