Effect of Fiber Drawing Tension on Optical and Mechanical Properties of Optical Fiber Waveguides

Based on experimental results, the effects of fiber drawing tension on both optical and mechanical properties of optical fibers are discussed. Lower drawing tensions (i.e. > 0.05 N (5 g)) were found to be desirable for fabricating uniform high-strength fibers, whereas higher drawing tensions (i.e. > 0.5 N (50 g)) were better for low-loss fibers having a large silica core.