Reliability improvement through nanoparticle material-based fiber structures

Optical fibers require protection against moisture and oxygen, as well as mechanical and thermal protection. Although the reliability of polymer coatings has improved considerably over the last decade, it is still insufficient for particular applications. The authors recommend a newly invented nanoparticle material (NPM)-based fiber structures as a solution to an effective coating system. NPM is able to actively replace water molecules at the surface of the underlying material. The NPM fills in the existing or incipient flaws (cracks, etc.), thereby “healing” the damaged (defected) material. Nonpolymer coatings make the fiber mechanically reliable and environmentally durable. This is due to the “self-healing” ability of the thixotropic NPM compound, as well as to the NPM ability to “heal the wounds” on the surface of the silica material under stress. The objective of the two experiments undertaken and addressed in this study is to compare the mechanical and the environmental characteristics of NPM-based and “conventional” fibers under different loading and ambient conditions. We show that the NPM effectively protects the silica surface against damage that could be caused by water vapor. The NPM is promising as an effective coating that is able to improve dramatically the optical performance, mechanical reliability, environmental durability, and cost effectiveness of silica-based light-guides.