Analysis of fracture damage in silica optical fibers

Microstructured optical fibres (with a periodic transverse microstructure) are of interest since they offer a simple alternative to controlling the index profile of optical waveguides. Although many types of optical fibres and cables have been developed to meet the needs of communications service providers for longterm performance and reliable operation, the brittle nature, aging and fatigue of these fibres, remains to be the key materials issues. The flaws on the surface of fibres caused by processing (drawing) or subsequent assembling make the situation more complex. In this work, experimental investigation and fracture mechanics analysis have been conducted to understand the fracture behavior of these newly developed optical fibres. The results are believed to be useful for design, fabrication and evaluation of optical fibres for a variety of applications