A Norcross, Ga.-based fiber optic network products supplier has successfully fusion-spliced silica and sapphire fibers using a proprietary standard S178 portable fusion splicer. The new method overcomes traditional barriers to splicing the fibers caused by the difference in their physical properties, including their thermal expansion coefficients and the 200 ºC difference in their melting points. The development is a significant step toward extending the commercial application of sapphire fibers to extremely high temperature instrumentation. OFS engineering manager Dr. Tom Liang worked closely with The Ohio State University to develop the method.