CO2 laser ablation of bent optical fibers for sensing applications

A procedure for the fabrication of a fiber optic sensor involving CO2 laser ablation at lambda = 10.6 mu m is proposed. A basic system to achieve optical fiber bending and material processing on a single mode optical fiber is described and it is demonstrated that an optical fiber can be bent at a very precise angle by focusing a CO2 beam locally near the glass cladding surface until it reaches melting temperature. A method is also described for removing material at the apex of a bent fiber to obtain a smooth and well flattened plane surface that is suitable for optical fiber sensing.