Additive manufacturing of silica gain fibers: challenges and opportunities

Traditional optical fiber fabrication can be seen as cumbersome for fast prototyping or creating small fiber batches designed for a specific application. This work explores unconventional methods for silica gain fiber manufacturing that unlock new pathways for specialty fiber development. Leveraging the precision and flexibility of laser processing, these techniques enable efficient fabrication of high-performance fibers in small batches, facilitating accelerated design iterations and platform testing. Such approaches empower faster innovation cycles in photonics, offering a versatile bridge between conceptualization and scalable manufacturing.