Specialty Optical Fibers Handbook

fibers is generally high compared to that of glass fibers. Evidently, the value for

this parameter depends on the refractive indices of the liquid core and the

cladding. Values ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 have been reported, and once again,

the optimum value is determined by the requirements of a given application.

Finally, the optical properties of liquid-core fibers are determined using what are

today the standard characterization methods for optical fibers.

19.4 APPLICATIONS

As mentioned earlier, liquid-core fibers were first envisioned as a suitable

transmission medium for optical communications systems. Practical limitations

for the fabrication of these waveguides and, more importantly, the development

of highly transparent glass core fibers proved ...