Strength and reliability of metal-coated optical fibers at high temperatures

Hermetically metal coated fibers are candidates for applications at high temperatures. To date, various metals with melting point up to 1400 degrees C have been used to coat fibers by the freezing technique. However, the major problems consist of ensuring mechanical reliability and acceptable optical losses in metal coated fibers at high temperatures. We present an experimental study of the temperature effects at 20 - 1050 degrees C on the performance of optical fibers with copper coating. Specific fiber degradation mechanism have been revealed