Progress in optical waveguide process and materials.

A brief up-to-date review of the main technologies currently used in the fabrication of optical waveguides and a report on recent process and material advances that affect fiber performance and/or cost are presented. The processes reviewed include vapor phase oxidation as well as direct-melt. Rapid technical progress continues to be made on numerous processes used to fabricate single-mode and multimode fibers. Process strengths are being verified and utilized, and many process problems minimized and eliminated. As fiber performance differences between processes become smaller, manufacturing cost considerations become increasingly important.