Patent ID: 7660504

Claim:
A method of connectorizing an optical fiber comprising: providing a nano-engineered optical fiber having a core, a cladding with non-periodically disposed airlines having a corresponding initial air-fill percent within an airline-containing portion, and at least one of a coating and a buffer; stripping a length of the at least one of the coating and the buffer to expose a mid-span portion of the optical fiber; selectively applying an amount of energy to the mid-span portion sufficient to substantially collapse the airlines at the mid-span portion to form a substantially airline-free portion thereat and within which the initial air-fill percent is reduced by at least a factor of 5; mounting the optical fiber within a connector ferrule having a ferrule end face so that the substantially airline-free portion is arranged at the ferrule end face and so that a portion of the fiber protrudes beyond the ferrule end face; and cleaving the optical fiber through the substantially airline-free portion at or near the ferrule end face.