The cut end of an optical fiber at 1550 nm operation reflects 4% of light due to Fresnel boundary due to air and silica glass. I want to increase this by coating TiO2. Apart from ALD approach, what other ways are possible to deposit a thin film of TiO2. I have tried RF Sputtering the TiO2 target. It has not worked well. Need more inputs regarding the same and also of any other simple methods to achieve the same.
Kindly note that the moment you unclad an optical fiber (which means removing the outside plastic layer in some suitable solvent which dissolves the plastic), you are left with the glass fiber. Which is very very frgile, the smaller its diameter, the more fragile it is. I am worried that it may not take any mechanical shocks, and in addition, the optical fiber will be highly prone to moisture.
Finally if you are trying to deposit by sol gel technique, after the TiO2 layer deposition, it will require annealing in a high temperature furnace to atleast more than 500 to 600 deg C to achieve the single phase of desired TiO2 phase (Rutile, or anatase) and are able to get the right refractive index. You should try, and may be you will be successful with one or two fibers, but do take the precautions.
he best way out is to select a cold deposition process which can ensure a TiO2 layer on the fiber, preferably cold magnetron process, or ALD if it can provide the required layer at a low enough temperature.
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