PRODUCTION OF BENT OPTICAL FIBER, LIGHT-AMPLIFIER AND OPTICAL PART

摘要

PURPOSE:To obtain an optical fiber free from internal stress and capable of keeping sufficient reliability even at a small bend radius. CONSTITUTION:An optical fiber 5 formed by drawing a preform 1 is heated at the part to be subjected to bending work to the softening temperature in a heating furnace 7. The softened part 10 of the optical fiber is brought into contact with a cylindrical bobbin 8 and the optical fiber 5 is wound around the bobbin 8 without applying a tension to the optical fiber. The bent optical fiber is hardened by cooling in the wound state. Since there is no causation of stress in the optical fiber even at a small bend radius, the reliability of a bent optical fiber having small bend radius can be improved. The optical fiber is useful for the manufacture of a small-sized optical fiber amplifier, etc., having high reliability.