Fusion splicing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fusion splicing is the act of joining two optical fibers end-to-end using heat. The goal is to fuse the two fibers together in such a way that light passing through the fibers is not scattered or reflected back by the splice, and so that the splice and the region surrounding it are almost as strong as the virgin fiber itself. The source of heat is usually an electric arc, but can also be a tungsten filament through which current is passed.

The following steps are necessary to splice optical fiber:

The coatings of the two fibers to be spliced together must be stripped off.
The fibers must be cleaned.
Each fiber must be cleaved so that its endface is perfectly flat and perpendicular to the axis of the fiber.
The two endfaces of the fibers are aligned.
The two fibers are fused together.
The bare fiber area is protected either by recoating or with a splice protector.
It is often desirable to perform a proof-test to ensure that the splice is strong enough to survive handling, packaging and extended use.

Alternatives to fusion splicing include using optical fiber connectors or mechanical splices both of which have higher insertion losses, lower reliability and higher return losses than fusion splicing.