Investigation of the mechanical strength of fiber-optic waveguides used in optical communications systems

The results are given of investigations of the mechanical strength of fiber-optic waveguides, prepared by the method of chemical deposition from the gaseous phase, and of waveguides having a quartz-glass core and an optically reflecting cladding of silicone polymer. A description is given of a horizontal breaking test machine specially designed for this purpose. The Weibull statistics were used for analyzing the strength of long waveguides. A maximum breaking strength of 4.4 GPa was attained for quartz-glass fibers having a polymer cladding, applied during the drawing process, with a 50% probability of breakage occurring in meter-long lengths.