Arc-fusion splicing of single-mode fibers: An apparatus with an automatic core-axis alignment mechanism and its field trial results

A presplicing technique with a splice-loss measurement accuracy of ± 0.02 dB is presented. Automated core-axis alignment and field application are investigated. An average splice loss of 0.1 dB, a 15-km monitoring distance, and a 1-min average-axis-alignment time are achieved in field trials of a high-capacity transmission system. It is found that splice loss can be estimated by monitoring power change before and after the fusion splice, and an optimum monitoring power change exists for the attainment of low-loss splice. By restricting the range to | dB, an average splice loss of less than 0.12 dB is achieved with a success probability of 87 percent.