Al Coated Silica Fibers
FPS Photonics aluminum-coated silica fibers are an ideal solution when used in harsh conditions such as high temperatures, vacuum, etc. as they stay stable in corrosive chemicals that would react to silica glass. The temperature range is from -270°C to 400°C with a humidity range of up to 100%.
The hermetically sealed fibers provide all the benefits of the silica-silica fibers, as well as providing increased mechanical strength and greater fatigue resistance then non-hermetic polymer-clad fibers. The transmission covers a spectral range of 200 to 2400 nm depending on the silica fiber core choice – UV or NIR.
Key Features
● Range of working temperatures up to 400°C
● Thin metal coating and NA optimized for coupling to high energy lasers
● Capable to be soldered into ferrules without glue
● Fiber cooling due to the heat-conducting metal coating
● Excellent mechanical strength and flexibility
● X-Ray resistant
● Sterilized using ETO, steam, e-beam or gamma radiation
● Capable to be used under high vacuum conditions without outgassin
● Possibility of soldering, embedded fibers, bundles, pigtails, inlets to high vacuum
Applications
● High temperature environments
● Harsh chemical environments
● Nuclear radiation resistant devices
● Down-hole sensing for oil and gas industry
● High power laser delivery
● Medical applications
● Soldered fiber bundles
Specifications
| Coating material | Al |
| Core/Cladding material Step Index | Pure Fused Silica Core / Fluorine Doped Silica Cladding |
| Graded Index | Germanium Doped Fused Silica Core / Pure Fused Silica |
| Standard fiber core diameters, μm | 9; 50; 62.5; 200; 400; 600; 1000 |
| Al coating thickness, μm | 15 – 150 |
| Standard Numerical Aperture (NA) | 0.22 ± 0.02 |
| Available Numerical Aperture (NA) | 0.12 ± 0.02; 0.26 ± 0.02 |
| Min operating temperature, °C | -270 |
| Max operating temperature, °C | +400 |
| Humidity Range | Up to 100% |
| Minimal bending radius (long term) | 200 x fiber outer diameter |
| Minimal bending radius (short term) | 100 x fiber outer diameter |
| Tensile strength (short gauge), GPa | 3.5 – 6 |
| Two point bending strength, GPa | >10 |
| Static fatigue parameter | >100 |