Copper Coated Silica Fibers

Main features:

  • Operating at temperatures up to 600°C (valid for non-oxidizing atmospheres)
  • Outstanding mechanical strength and flexibility
  • Zero outgassing in high vacuum environments
  • Solderable for connector integration (epoxy-free option)
  • Efficient heat dissipation with metal coating
  • Sterilization compatibility: Steaming, ETO, steam, e-beam, or gamma

MIR Photonics’ Copper-alloy Coated Silica Fibers represent the pinnacle in fiber technology for demanding conditions such as high temperatures, vacuums, and harsh environments.

These Cu-alloy coated fibers inherit all the advantageous properties of traditional silica-silica fibers. Beyond this, they offer noteworthy enhancements in mechanical strength and exhibit greater resistance to fatigue when compared to their polymer-coated counterparts.

Their transmission capabilities extend from 220 to 2400 nm, varying based on the selection of either UV or NIR silica fiber cores. Impressively, these fibers operate effectively within a vast temperature range, from -270°C to 600°C, and can withstand humidity levels of up to 100%.

Specification of Cu-alloy coated Fibers
Core/ Cladding material Step IndexPure Fused Silica Core / Fluorine Doped Silica Cladding
Graded IndexGermanium Doped Fused Silica Core / Pure Fused Silica
Fiber core diameters, μm9; 50; 62.5; 100; 200; 400; 600
Cu-alloy coating thickness, μm15 – 50 (depending on fiber diameter)
Standard Numerical Aperture (NA)0.22 ± 0.02
Available Numerical Aperture (NA)0.12 ± 0.02 0.26 ± 0.02
Min operating temperature, °C-270
Max operating temperature, °C600
Humidity RangeUp to 100%
Minimal bending radius (long term)200 x fiber outer diameter
Minimal bending radius (short term)100 x fiber outer diameter
 Tensile strength (short gauge), GPa3.5 – 6
 Two point bending strength, GPa>10
Static fatigue parameter>100
Parameters of standard Cu-alloy coated Fibers
CodeTypeCore, μmCladding, μmCoating Cu, μmNA
100/110 CuStep Index Multimode100 ± 2%110 ± 2%145 ± 5%0.22
200/220 CuStep Index Multimode200 ± 2%220 ± 2%270 ± 5%0.22
400/440 CuStep Index Multimode400 ± 2%440 ± 2%535 ± 5%0.22
600/660 CuStep Index Multimode600 ± 2%660 ± 2%745 ± 5%0.22
50/125 CuGraded Index Multimode50 ± 2%125 ± 2%165 ± 2%0.22
9/125 CuSingle mode9 ± 5%235 ± 5%165 ± 2%0.13

High temperature environments

Harsh Chemical environments

Nuclear radiation resistant devices

Down-hole sensing for oil and gas industry

High Power Laser delivery

Medical applications

Soldered fiber bundles