30.07.2021

Researchers succeed in stabilizing data flows

St.Gallen – Researchers from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology have developed a technology to stabilize fiber optic cables. As a result, interruptions in the transmission of data can be avoided.

Glass fibers transmit data and signals. However, under strain they are prone to cracking, which in turn leads to interruptions in the flow of data. Researchers from the Advanced Fibers lab at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) in St.Gallen have now developed a technology that increases the elasticity of fiber optic cables, meaning that they are less likely to break. To achieve this, the researchers created a fiber with a liquid glycerol core, further details of which can be found in a press release issued by Empa.

The researchers have a machine in St.Gallen at their disposal that allows them to fill kilometer-long fibers with a liquid. As a result, Empa has become a global leader in this field, the press release states. “Two-component fibers with a solid core have been around for more than 50 years”, explains researcher Rudolf Hufenus, before adding: “But fabricating a continuous liquid core is considerably more complex. Everything has to be just perfect”.

In order to also use these fibers for the transmission of light – as in the case of fiber optics – the materials used are key. This applies to both to the core and the casing. Prior to conducting the experiment, the research group led by Rudolf Hufenus settled on deploying a liquid core consisting of glycerol and a casing made of fluoropolymer. The result was a fiber that could not only transmit light, but which was additionally extremely flexible. Moreover, it is suitable for use in additional application areas. “We expect that our liquid-filled fibers can be used not only for signal transmission and sensing, but also for force transmission in micromotors and microhydraulics”, Hufenus explains in the press release.