Predicting the drawing conditions for Microstructured Optical Fiber fabrication

The efficient and accurate fabrication of Microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) requires a practical understanding of the 'draw process' beyond what is achievable by trial and error, which requires the ability to predict the experimental drawing parameters needed to produce the desired final geometry. Our results show that the Fitt et al. fluid-mechanics model for describing the draw process of a single axisymmetric capillary fiber provides practical insights when applied to more complex multi-hole symmetric and asymmetric MOF geometries. By establishing a method to relate the multi-hole MOF geometry to a capillary and understanding how material temperature varies with the draw tower temperature profile, it was found that analytical equations given by the Fitt model could be used to predict the parameters necessary for the chosen structure. We show how this model provides a practical framework that contributes to the efficient and accurate fabrication of the desired MOF geometries by predicting suitable fiber draw conditions. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America