Abstract
Defects within optical fibers can cause premature failure in fiber-based systems and must be detected early to avoid performance degradation. Addressing this need can ensure that no defective optical fibers are being used by end users and improve processes to reduce the number of defects during manufacturing. The main challenge to date has been developing a technique that can measure defects along long lengths of fiber, within opaque packaging, and with position information. We demonstrate a simple and novel technique for detecting and radially resolving microscopic defects in packaged/buried fibers using an angle-resolved interrogator that analyzes the transmission of different ray groups. We have measured the accuracy to be as low as ±2 μm, which is sufficient for most fibers that have diameters in the order of ~100 μm.
Highlights
The duty of the polymer coating on an optical fiber is to protect its glass cladding against nicks, shocks, and adsorption of chemicals
The coating quality is a critical factor in terms of uniformity and optical loss
Knowing the radial position of the defect(s) is valuable though not currently possible, because it gives an insight into which layer hosts the defect(s). Addressing this need allows optical fiber manufacturers to obtain detailed defect information after manufacturing, after transportation, and during maintenance. They can ensure that no defective optical fibers are being used by end users and improve processes to reduce the number of defects and improve rod-in-tube integration during manufacturing
Summary
The duty of the polymer coating on an optical fiber is to protect its glass cladding against nicks, shocks, and adsorption of chemicals. Knowing the radial position of the defect(s) is valuable though not currently possible, because it gives an insight into which layer hosts the defect(s) Addressing this need allows optical fiber manufacturers to obtain detailed defect information after manufacturing, after transportation, and during maintenance. One known technique [5] operates by visually analyzing the diffracted light when external surface illumination is used Since this involves a point-by-point inspection, it is impractical for long lengths of fibers. Another known technique [6] involves internally illuminating the fiber with visible light and checking for bright specks from the outside. Of this technique by additional signal processing involving angle-dependent optical loss to measure the radial position of microscopic defects within fibers
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