DB loss after Encapsulating a fusion splice

Are you baking the epoxy? Epoxy is really strong stuff, and has a big coefficient of thermal expansion...to avoid stress problems, you might want to consider a layer of RTV silicone underneath. That's commonly done in potting electronics, and it saves lots of headaches.

Cheers,

Phil Hobbs

Check if you fiber is having a waveguiding polymer coating. If so, you are just measuring losses before encapsulation incorrectly. Other then that, fiber can react to a sharp bend, if induced when incapsulating.

BTW: a)why are you incapsulating the splice in an epoxy? b) all fibers are different. Perhaps it would help if you write what fibers are you splicing.

The splice also has to be perfectly fused. If there is even the slightest bubble or microcrack it will propagate during the encapsulation process resulting in a break.

P. Danek