Description

The production of “low-water peak” optical fiber (LWPF) is achieved by processes that remove water and/or prevent it from diffusing into the silica matrix. As demand for LWPF increases, fiber makers have resorted to new materials and manufacturing steps to reach more difficult attenuation specifications for this fiber type. The water peak appears because hydrogen, which readily diffuses through the glass matrix of an optical fiber, is trapped at defects in the glass structure, forming hydroxyl groups that cause attenuation at these wavelengths.