OPTICAL FIBER WITH REDUCING HYDROGEN SENSITIVITY

摘要

The present disclosure is directed to a method of making an optical fiber with improved bend performance, the optical fiber having a core and at least one cladding layer, and a chlorine content in the in the last layer of the at least one cladding layer that is greater than 500 ppm by weight. The fiber is prepared using a mixture of a carrier gas, a gaseous chlorine source material and a gaseous reducing agent during the sintering of the last or outermost layer of the at least one cladding layer. The inclusion of the reducing gas into a mixture of the carrier gas and gaseous chlorine material reduces oxygen-rich defects that results in at least a 20% reduction in TTP during hydrogen aging testing.

主权项

1. A method of producing an optical fiber comprising:
providing a preform having a consolidated glass core and a first porous glass cladding layer; exposing the preform to a first gas atmosphere at a first temperature, the first gas atmosphere comprising a chlorine source material, the chlorine source material providing chlorine for doping the first porous glass cladding layer; exposing the preform to a second gas atmosphere at a second temperature; the second gas atmosphere comprising a reducing agent; and heating the preform in the presence of the second gas atmosphere at a third temperature; the heating causing sintering of the first porous glass cladding layer, the sintered first porous glass cladding layer having a chlorine dopant concentration of at least 500 ppm by weight.