Abstract

During the past decade, significant advances have been made in the drawing and coating of glass fiber lightguides for use in telecommunications systems. This progress has been the result of contributions from numerous investigators that have added to the legacy of an ancient art as described in a recent review.¹ Lightguides for telecommunications differ from other types of glass fiber by exhibiting a combination of unique properties. Critical among these are low loss, low dispersion, dimensional precision, coating uniformity, high strength, and long lengths, all of which are dependent in part, and sometimes entirely, on the drawing process. Techniques and facilities for drawing lightguides differ also from those of other glass fibers. What was once a relatively simple process of drawing a glass into a fiber has become increasingly complex when applied to current designs and applications for lightguides.

© 1985 Optical Society of America