CPC C03B 37/10 (2013.01) [C03B 37/029 (2013.01)] | 13 Claims |
1. A method of manufacturing an optical fiber, the method comprising:
heating an optical preform in a draw furnace;
drawing an optical fiber from the optical preform; and
annealing the optical fiber by passing the optical fiber through an RF inductively coupled plasma heating apparatus configured to form a cyclonic structure of plasma that tangentially heats a length of the optical fiber at a heating rate of 5,000° C. per second (° C./s) or greater as the optical fiber passes through the plasma and a cooling device configured to cool the optical fiber, the RF inductively coupled plasma heating apparatus comprises an inductor having one or more coils wrapped around a length of a plasma containment tube for containing the cyclonic structure of plasma and permitting the passage of the optical fiber through the cyclonic structure of plasma.
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