Fluorine-doped fibers by the outside vapor deposition process

Abstract

Fluorine-doped depressed-index claddings have been widely used in the inside vapor deposition process. This paper reports on fluorine-doped fibers made by the outside vapor deposition (OVD) process. The advanced segmented-core (Segcor) fiber design reported earlier,1 which produces large spot sizes and propagation constants along with low total dispersion between 1.3 and 1.6 μm, requires off-axis index depressions. Until recently, the formidable problems associated with fluorine doping in flame hydrolysis reactions have excluded such complex designs. Through process modifications, fluorine-doped silica core and claddings have now been incorporated into OVD produced fibers.