Apparatus and method for producing elongated glass components with low bow. The apparatus may include a heating element to heat a bulk glass component where a strand may be drawn from the bulk glass component in a downward direction and a gripper device including a clamping element to support the strand while pulling or drawing it from the bulk glass component in a linear motion, and a low-friction mounting element attached to the clamping element which allows translational movement of the clamping element in an x-y plane. The gripper device may further be used to reduce bow in the strand while it is being drawn by moving the clamping element on the mounting element in a direction opposite the direction of any measured transverse acceleration.

A method of manufacturing a porous glass preform includes depositing glass particles on an outer periphery of a target rod while a burner for synthesizing glass particles and the target rod that is rotating are relatively reciprocated, wherein V and r are gradually reduced while a variation in sweeping pitch P [mm] expressed as V/r is caused to be within a range of a central value±10% when a glass particle deposition layer of a portion satisfying a relation 0.5L≦R≦0.8L is synthesized; where a final outer diameter of the manufactured porous glass preform for an optical fiber is L [mm], an outer diameter of a glass particle deposition body in the middle of the manufacture is R [mm], a rotating speed of the target rod is r [rpm], and a relative moving speed between the target rod and the burner is V [mm/min.].

A method of manufacturing a porous glass preform includes depositing glass particles on an outer periphery of a target rod while a burner for synthesizing glass particles and the target rod that is rotating are relatively reciprocated, wherein V and r are gradually reduced while a variation in sweeping pitch P [mm] expressed as V/r is caused to be within a range of a central value±10% when a glass particle deposition layer of a portion satisfying a relation 0.5 L≤R≤0.8 L is synthesized; where a final outer diameter of the manufactured porous glass preform for an optical fiber is L [mm], an outer diameter of a glass particle deposition body in the middle of the manufacture is R [mm], a rotating speed of the target rod is r [rpm], and a relative moving speed between the target rod and the burner is V [mm/min.].

A method for manufacturing a preform for a multicore fiber, including stacking (S1) a plurality of core rods and a plurality of silica-based filler rods in a tube; collapsing (S2) the tube around the stack of core rods and silica-based filler rods, forming a collapsed stack; depositing (S3) a layer of silica around the collapsed stack; removing (S4) at least part of the deposited layer of silica. The preferential process for depositing a layer of silica around the collapsed stack and removing at least part of the deposited layer of silica is Advanced Plasma and Vapor Deposition.

Method of producing glass components and preforms for use in the method. The preform includes a primary rod having a constant outside diameter and a square bottom and a sacrificial tip having a first end attached to the bottom of the primary rod, a second end opposite the first end, and a hollow interior region extending from the first end to the second end. The sacrificial tip is circular in cross section and the first end of the sacrificial tip has an outside diameter equal to the outside diameter of the primary rod. When the preform is heated in a furnace, the sacrificial tip melts and collapses into a drawing bulb which either draws the primary rod directly into the glass fiber or results in a tapered (i.e. tipped) preform for subsequent fiber draw. Material waste as well as the drip time is reduced and the cladding-to-core ratio, crucial for waveguide properties, is maintained for the whole preform compared to a square cut preform without the sacrificial tip.

A method of forming a glass preform of predetermined length comprises providing a length of glass material to be separated to form a preform length and a remaining length; forming a notch in the glass material; inducing a tensile stress in excess of the tensile strength of the glass in an area adjacent to the notch; and separating the preform length from the remaining length at the notch.

A multicore fiber is provided that includes a plurality of elliptical cores spaced apart from one another. Each of the plurality of elliptical cores has an elliptical shape. The multicore fiber also includes a cladding surrounding the plurality of elliptical cores.

A shaped tube (50,51) for use as a component in the fabrication of an antiresonant hollow core optical fibre, the shaped tube having a side wall with a transverse cross-sectional shape comprising a number of major curved portions (52) alternating with the same number of minor substantially straight portions (54), each curved portion (52) having an inwardly curving shape, and each straight portion (54) being equidistant from a central longitudinal axis of the shaped tube (50,51).

A multicore fiber according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of cores and a cladding that encloses the plurality of the cores. The external form of the cladding in a cross section is formed of an arc portion that is formed in an arc shape relative to the center axis of the cladding and a non-arc portion that is pinched between two ends of the arc portion and not formed in an arc shape relative to the center axis of the cladding. The non-arc portion is formed with a pair of projections projecting from two ends of the arc portion on the opposite side of the center axis relative to a straight line connecting the both ends of the arc portion and one or more of recesses pinched between the pair of the projections.

Method of producing glass components and preforms for use in the method. The preform includes a primary rod having a constant outside diameter and a square bottom and a sacrificial tip having a first end attached to the bottom of the primary rod, a second end opposite the first end, and a hollow interior region extending from the first end to the second end. The sacrificial tip is circular in cross section and the first end of the sacrificial tip has an outside diameter equal to the outside diameter of the primary rod. When the preform is heated in a furnace, the sacrificial tip melts and collapses into a drawing bulb which either draws the primary rod directly into the glass fiber or results in a tapered (i.e. tipped) preform for subsequent fiber draw. Material waste as well as the drip time is reduced and the cladding-to-core ratio, crucial for waveguide properties, is maintained for the whole preform compared to a square cut preform without the sacrificial tip.