Chlorine incorporation into silica lightguide materials

Summary form only given. For many years it has been well known that high-purity synthetic silica glasses and fibers contain relatively large amounts of chlorine (some hundreds or thousands) in consequence of the preparation and drying process via gaseous chlorine compounds. Chlorine in silica may influence the refractive index, thermal properties, radiation-induced loss, drawing-induced, and other defects. Up to now, however, the process of chlorine interaction and incorporation is scarcely understood. We study this process.