Abstract

Optical fibers must be coated as they are drawn to protect their inherent strength from handling abuse. In order to maintain high strength over the entire length of a fiber it is imperative that the coating be applied without damaging the fiber surface at any point. The coating must completely encapsulate the fiber and in the ideal case would concentrically surround it. A concentric coating is especially desirable for silicone-clad fibers^1,2 in order to achieve low connector losses.

© 1977 Optical Society of America