Mechanics of coated optical fibers: review and extension

We discuss various mechanical problems in the analysis, design and reliability evaluations of polymer-coated or metallized optical fibers, with an emphasis on the predictive modeling (mostly analytical). The review part of the article is based primarily on the author's research conducted during his tenure with Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey. The extension part concerns the application of a newly developed nanoparticle material (NPM) as an attractive substitute for the existing optical fiber coatings.