Liquid metal clamp and fiber cleaving using same

摘要

The present invention is directed to a liquid metal clamp, and a clamp system and method including same. A clamp system includes a first clamp configured to hold a first portion of a set of fibers and a second clamp configured to hold a second portion of the set of fibers, the second clamp comprising a liquid metal that takes a liquid form at a first temperature for receipt of the second portion of the set of fibers and that takes a solid form at a second temperature to secure the second of the set of fibers. The set of fibers can be a single fiber or a plurality of fibers. The fiber or fibers can have a circular or non-circular cross section.

主权项

1. A fiber cleaver system with liquid metal clamp, comprising:
a first clamp spaced apart from a second clamp and collectively arranged to clamp a length of a set of fibers extending in an axial direction, wherein:
the first clamp is configured to clamp an intermediate portion of the set of fibers; andthe second clamp comprises a container configured to receive and clamp an endface of the set of fibers and to maintain a liquid metal that takes a liquid form at a first temperature for receipt of the endface and takes a solid form at a second temperature to clamp the endface such that the clamp achieved when in the solid form is a substantially uniform force clamp that is substantially torsion free; and a blade configured to score the tensioned set of fibers between the first and second clamps to generate a substantially perpendicular cleave in the set of fibers.