THE SHAPE OF FIBER TAPERS

A model for the shape of optical fiber tapers, formed by stretching a fiber in a heat source of varying length, is presented. Simple assumptions avoid any need for the techniques of fluid mechanics. It is found that any decreasing shape of taper can be produced. The procedure for calculating the hot-zone length variation required to produce a given shape of taper is described, and is used to indicate how an optimal adiabatic taper can be made. A traveling burner tapering system is capable of realizing the model's predictions, and a complete practical procedure for the formation of fiber tapers with any reasonable shape is thus presented.