Minimizing bend loss by removing material inside the caustic in bent single-mode fibers

By removing the cladding on the outside of a bent single-mode optical fiber and exposing a surface at a radius smaller than that of the radiation caustic, the leaky nature of the propagating mode is almost suppressed, and bend loss is effectively eliminated. The practical realization of this effect is described, and a loop with a bend radius of 0.50 mm on standard telecommunications fiber is demonstrated with negligible loss.