Historical review: The development of multicomponent glass fibres for optical communications by Toshiba

摘要

Glass is an excellent medium for optical communication systems because of its high transparency and, as fibres, mechanical strength. Multicomponent glasses are characterised by its low melting point and suitability for mass production. Toshiba developed multicomponent glass fibres for optical communication between 1973 and 1978. This review summarises the work undertaken emphasising developments in high purity glass melting on a scale suitable for mass production. Developments in the static fatigue performance and the selection of corelclad combinations to give high numerical aperture glass fibres are also considered.