Unique to the FASE
II fusion splicer, the surface tension effect
of molten fibre has been increased by the technique
of axial reciprocation (wiggle) during the splicing
process.
After the molten fibres have been brought together,
one of the fibres is wiggled in and out in a controlled
fashion whilst still molten. The fibre is moved
backwards and forwards around 5µm, 5 times
per second.
This increases the cladding alignment effect of
the surface tension of the molten glass, producing
a lower splice loss and a stronger joint. It also
helps to diffuse dopants across the splice boundary
improving core mismatch problems even further.
As this reduces the length of time the arc has to
be fired for, it also increases the number of splices
you can make with a fully charged FASE II.
