Splicing silica fibers with an electric arc.
A method of making low-loss splices in silica fibers by fusing them together with the heat from an electric arc has been developed. Accurate alignment is obtained by the use of a vacuum chuck. Step-index fibers with core diameter of 75 microm and o.d. of 125 microm were spliced, with individual splice losses as low as 0.03 dB and with an average loss in forty-five splices of 0.14 dB. The splices can be made quickly and easily and add no bulk.
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