Abstract

High-speed drawing has been attempted to reduce optical fiber manufacturing cost. No significant difference in transmission loss¹ and strength² has been found between optical fibers drawn at high speeds up to 1200 m/min and those drawn at low speed. Hydrogen-induced transmission loss, which is caused by the reaction of H₂ with some defect in the optical fiber,^3,4 is of further concern, since defects are strongly affected by drawing speed as well as drawing temperature.⁵ In this paper we ascertain the reactive sites causing the H₂-induced loss.

© 1986 Optical Society of America