Low-OH-content fibre fabrication using particle-size control sol-gel method

By the sol-gel method using a new ‘particle-size control’ technique, a low-OH content at a level of 0.1 parts in 106 and a minimum optical loss of 1.8 dB/km at 1.6 μm wavelength has been achieved in pure silica core single-mode optical fibres. Improvement of dry gel properties using particle-size control is essential to bubble-free fibre drawing form dehydrated gel-derived glasses.