My thanks to the group for their collective help on my previous couple of questions. I've got another one now.
For a sensing (not communications) application, I need optical fiber with a cladding diameter < 125um. (I don't care what the fiber diameter is with the protective jacket - I'm going to strip that off anyways.)
I need
Fibres usually make sensors worse rather than better. If you have a fume hood, HF is probably easiest.
You used to be able to get He-Ne fibre with about 50-um cladding diameter, but I haven't seen it in awhile. You might find some on Ebay.
Cheers,
Phil Hobbs
Bob, Your best bet is probably the companies that make fiber bundles. They use fibers that have very thin claddings so that the packing ratio in the bundle is high.
Some companies are Fiberoptix, FiberTech, FiberOptic Systems Inc, Schott Fiber Optics, Romack Fiber Optics, etc.
For example, FiberTech
AS46/50UVPI- 46um core, 50um clad AS64/70UVPI- 64um core, 70um clad
I have purchased bundles from FiberOptic Systems Inc that have cores as small as 25 um, with claddings approx 30 um diameter.
See if you can get them to sell you just the fiber, not in assembled bundle format.
Anthony
Thanks, Phil. You are, of course, correct, that the fiber will make the sensor work worse (if only from losses in the fiber and in the connection) rather than better. However, given my space/area constraints, bringing the sensor to the signal is, I think, even less practical than shrinking a 125um cladding diameter fiber.
I don't have any fume hoods in my lab, but there are some in a lab next door. I'll give that a try and see how things come out.
Bob Pownall
Anthony Cook wrote:
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