https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202328710003
Soft, stretchable optical fibers via thermal drawing
Laboratory of Photonic Materials and Fiber Devices (FIMAP), Institute of Materials, EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
* Corresponding author: fabien.sorin@epfl.ch
Published online: 18 October 2023
Optical fibers that can sustain large elastic deformations are promising building blocks in soft robotics, medical and wearable devices, and advanced textiles. Thus far, however, the fabrication methods developed for soft optical fibers have remained unmatured. Here, we present thermal drawing as a materials and processing platform to fabricate 10s of meters-long soft, multi-material optical fibers with intriguing architectures. It offers unprecedented opportunities to realize step-index soft optical fibers, as well as photonic crystal fibers for transmission, reflection, and sensing.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2023
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
