Average Splice Loss Research Articles

Fusion splices for optical fibers by discharge heating

A new type of electric discharge fusion splicing apparatus for optical fibers offering several advantages is developed and evaluated. An average splicing loss of 0.10 dB is obtained for step-index multimode silica fibers with a 60-microm core diameter. Tolerances in discharge energy, fiber misalignment, compression force and stroke length during fusion, and end face conditions are discussed experimentally. No accurate fiber axis adjustment is necessary in this apparatus. Mechanical strength of the splice is also excellent.

Optical fiber end preparation using a CO_2 laser

A new method for obtaining good fiber ends with the help of a CO(2) laser is described. In principle, the fiber is exposed to a focused CO(2) laser beam and then fractured by applying tensile stress. Average coupling losses of a step-index and a graded-index multimode fiber, whose endfaces were prepared by this method, were both 0.35 dB without index-matching fluid. Average splice losses of these fibers were 0.05-0.06 dB, when their ends were fused with a CO(2) laser.

Melt splice of multimode optical fibre with an electric arc

The arc-fusion method for splicing has been improved by adopting a new technique. Fibre ends to be spliced are smoothly arranged by prefusion before the fibres are pressed and fused together. An average splicing loss of 0.09 dB has been attained by using the new method.

An Injection-Molded Plastic Connector for Splicing Optical Cables

An injection-molded plastic splice connector for splicing optical cables has been fabricated and evaluated. Five optical cables containing 90-µm od graded-index fibers with 55-µm core diameters were spliced, yielding an average splice loss of 0.20 dB for the 425 splice joints measured. Fifty percent of the losses measured were less than 0.1 dB and 95 percent of the splice joints had losses less than 0.8 dB. Assembly methods for splicing optical cables using this connector and a multiribbon optical-fiber cutting tool capable of cutting 144 fibers simultaneously are also described.

Hot splices of optical waveguide fibers

The application of optical waveguides in long lengths may require permanent joints (splices). The idea behind hot splices is simple and basic to glass: heat the fibers and fuse them together. This is accomplished by a small electric arc. A series of twenty splices of identical multimode fibers shows an average splice loss of 0.26 dB. Single mode fiber splices were also attempted, as well as a series of splices on different multimode fibers, and results are reported.