Air-structured optical fiber drawn from a 3D-printed preform

Opt Lett. 2015 Sep 1;40(17):3966-9. doi: 10.1364/OL.40.003966.

Abstract

A structured optical fiber is drawn from a 3D-printed structured preform. Preforms containing a single ring of holes around the core are fabricated using filament made from a modified butadiene polymer. More broadly, 3D printers capable of processing soft glasses, silica, and other materials are likely to come on line in the not-so-distant future. 3D printing of optical preforms signals a new milestone in optical fiber manufacture.

MeSH terms

  • Air*
  • Computer-Aided Design
  • Optical Fibers*
  • Printing, Three-Dimensional*