Specialty Optical Fibers Handbook

It should be kept in mind that the temperature gradient, which necessarily

accompanies any such heating of a portion of the fiber, such as in tapering or

thermal lensing, may lead to substantial strength degradation by the interaction

of the hot surface with moisture described earlier.

24.5.4 Polishing

Grinding and polishing of the ends of fibers involves many complicated and

poorly understood processes. In the grinding process, sharp hard particles

scratch the glass surface resulting in gouges and cracks. Some of these cracks

cause chipping of the surface and thus removal of some of the glass. Grinding is

used to rapidly approach the final desired size and shape. The final shape and

surface quality are produced by polishing. Polishing is similar