System for low-loss splicing of optical fibers having a high concentration of fluorine to other types of optical fiber

Techniques and systems are described for splicing together first and second optical fibers. A thermal treatment station is described, having a chassis (101), a fiber holding block (102) for holding a pair of optical fibers that have been spliced together at a splice point, the fiber holding block including a cutaway portion exposing the splice point (34), and a torch (106), the fiber holding block and the torch being mounted to the chassis such that the positions of the splice point and the torch can be adjusted with respect to each other that the splice point lies in the flame. A technique for splicing together two optical fibers is further described, in which the optical fibers are first spliced together using a fusion splicer and then thermally treated by positioning the splice point in a flame while monitoring splice loss.