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If a fiber is going to be coiled to a small diameter, it is worth considering a reduced cladding fiber such as 80 micron (µm) as this will allow an increased coil lifetime.

For example, if equal lengths of 80µm fiber and 125µm fiber are coiled to a 15mm diameter, the 125µm glass will experience an increased level of mechanical stress as there is more material to resist the bend. In theoretical fiber lifetime models such as COST-218, a reduced coil lifetime would be calculated for the 125µm compared to 80µm fiber.

80µm fibers can also benefit applications where space it at a premium such as embedded sensors and medical endoscopes.

Additionally, the reduced cladding area of 80µm fiber can offer improved acoustic sensitivity compared to a 125µm fiber solution.