Abstract: One embodiment of the disclosure relates to a method of making an optical fiber comprising the steps of: (i) exposing a silica based preform with at least one porous glass region having soot density of ? to a gas mixture comprising SiCl4 having SiCl4 mole fraction ySiCl4 at a doping temperature Tdop such that parameter X is larger than 0.03 to form the chlorine treated preform, wherein X = 1 1 + [ ( ? ? s - ? ) ? 0.209748 ? T dop ? Exp ? [ - 5435.33 / T dop ] y SiCl ? ? 4 3 / 4 ] and ?s is the density of the fully densified soot layer; and (ii) exposing the chlorine treated preform to temperatures above 1400° C. to completely sinter the preform to produce sintered optical fiber preform with a chlorine doped region; and (iii) drawing an optical fiber from the sintered optical preform.

Abstract: A method for forming a silica glass blank includes generating soot using an array of soot producing burners, directing the soot along a first direction onto a bait, collecting the soot on the bait, imparting relative oscillatory motion having a repeat period between the array of soot producing burners and the bait along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction while collecting the soot, and offsetting the relative oscillatory motion by a selected distance along the second direction after each repeat period.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for hydrogen loading silica glass and silica glass comprising loaded H2. The methods can lead to H2 gradient in the glass material. Alternatively, the method may involve the use of varying H2 partial pressure of H2 in the atmosphere. Both can result in expedited hydrogen loading process.

Abstract: A method for forming a silica glass blank includes generating soot using an array of soot producing burners, directing the soot along a first direction onto a bait, collecting the soot on the bait, imparting relative oscillatory motion having a repeat period between the array of soot producing burners and the bait along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction while collecting the soot, and offsetting the relative oscillatory motion by a selected distance along the second direction after each repeat period.