摘要 |
An optical fiber having optical characteristics that systematically vary along its length is made by inserting a plurality of cylindrical tablets into a cladding glass tube and overcladding the tube with particles of cladding glass. Each tablet contains a core region, and it optionally contains a layer of cladding glass Adjacent tablets are capable of forming optical fiber sections having different optical properties. Prior to consolidating the glass particles, chlorine flows through the tube and over the tablets. When the tube begins to sinter, the chlorine flow is stopped and the sintering particles generate an inwardly directed force that causes the tube to collapse inwardly onto the tablets which concurrently become fused to each other. The resultant draw blank can be drawn into a low loss optical fiber. This method is particularly useful for making dispersion managed single-mode optical fibers.
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