Fusion splicing single mode fiber

Fusion splicing is used to physically join together two optical fiber ends. The process may vary, depending on the type of fusion splicer used. The S177A Single-Fiber Fusion Splicer has an active core aligning mechanism to align the fiber ends, and a controllable electric arc to melt the glass and butt the ends together. This results in a strong joint, with very low loss and very low back-reflection. To achieve good splicing results, it is essential to know both the proper use of a fusion splicer and the characteristics of optical fiber. Because all fibers are not identical, they can melt or fuse at different temperatures. Therefore, to minimize splice loss, it is important that the arc power and the duration of the fusion arc be properly adjusted. The S177A fusion splicer features an arc function inspection to help the user adjust these parameters. Other intrinsic factors that contribute to the increase in splice loss are core diameter mismatch, cladding diameter mismatch, numerical aperture mismatch, core concentricity and non-circularity.

Core Diameter Mismatch