Abstract

Excimer lasers are currently used for the ablation of polymers in a number of applications [1]. Carbon dioxide lasers can also produce good quality etch features in polymers provided the laser wavelength is matched to a strong absorption band in the material [1]. In the present work the stripping of polymer jackets from fibre optic cables by pulsed ultraviolet and infrared laser ablation has been investigated, a technique which is closely analogous to laser wire stripping [2]. There is interest in generating bare lengths of telecommunication fibres to facilitate access to the cladding and core for a wide range of applications, including fabrication of Bragg Gratings which can act as wavelength selectors or sensors. Laser stripping offers possible advantages over chemical etching both in terms of the degree of control that can be exercised and from an environmental standpoint.

© 1998 IEEE