Fiber Optics
Fiber Basics
Connectorizing optical fiber
Remember to practice safety when breaking fiber and handling broken ends: wear safety glasses and tape up ends
The following list discusses the highlights of connectorizing fiber. Consult Thorlab's Fiber Polishing and Connectorization Manual for a more complete description.
- Strip coating from fiber, leaving 2-3 inches of bare fiber
- Prepare epoxy (EpoTek 353ND, mixing ratio 10:1 A:B by weight)
- Inject epoxy into connector
- Insert bare fiber through ferrule and cure epoxy (20 min @ 120 C, or level 6 on our oven)
- Use diamond tipped blade to score and cleave fiber just above epoxy bead
- Hand polish tip until fiber is flush with epoxy
- Polish using abrasion sheets and polishing puck: 30um (green), 6um (yellow), 3um (red), 1um (white)
Some useful fiber polishing pictures
Other useful links:
Double-Clad Fibers - Wikipedia
RP's Passive Fiber Optics Tutorial