<s>
A	O
cleave	B-Device
in	O
an	O
optical	B-Architecture
fiber	I-Architecture
is	O
a	O
deliberate	O
,	O
controlled	O
break	O
,	O
intended	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
perfectly	O
flat	O
end	O
face	O
perpendicular	O
to	O
the	O
fiber	O
's	O
longitudinal	O
axis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
process	O
of	O
cleaving	O
an	O
optical	B-Architecture
fiber	I-Architecture
forms	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
steps	O
in	O
the	O
preparation	O
for	O
a	O
fiber	O
splice	O
operation	O
,	O
regardless	O
of	O
the	O
subsequent	O
splice	O
being	O
a	O
fusion	O
splice	O
or	O
a	O
mechanical	B-Device
splice	I-Device
;	O
the	O
other	O
steps	O
in	O
the	O
preparation	O
being	O
those	O
of	O
stripping	B-Device
and	O
fiber	O
alignment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
good	O
cleave	B-Device
is	O
required	O
for	O
a	O
successful	O
low	O
loss	O
splice	O
of	O
an	O
optical	B-Architecture
fiber	I-Architecture
,	O
often	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
case	O
that	O
fibers	O
spliced	O
by	O
identical	O
methods	O
tend	O
to	O
have	O
different	O
losses	O
,	O
this	O
difference	O
can	O
often	O
be	O
attributed	O
to	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
their	O
initial	O
cleaves	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
strategy	O
involves	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
a	O
small	O
crack	O
into	O
the	O
fiber	O
and	O
the	O
subsequent	O
application	O
of	O
a	O
tensile	O
force	O
in	O
the	O
vicinity	O
of	O
the	O
crack	O
that	O
causes	O
the	O
fiber	O
to	O
cleave	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
process	O
involves	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
a	O
crack	O
in	O
the	O
fiber	O
,	O
generally	O
utilizing	O
a	O
cutting	O
tool	O
made	O
from	O
a	O
material	O
such	O
as	O
diamond	O
,	O
sapphire	B-Application
,	O
or	O
tungsten	O
carbide	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
the	O
application	O
of	O
tensile	O
stress	O
in	O
the	O
vicinity	O
of	O
the	O
crack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
specific	O
implementations	O
of	O
the	O
cleaving	O
vary	O
and	O
result	O
in	O
cleaves	B-Device
of	O
different	O
qualities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
circumferential	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
crack	O
often	O
allows	O
fibers	O
of	O
considerably	O
large	O
diameters	O
to	O
be	O
cleaved	O
while	O
maintaining	O
a	O
high	O
quality	O
of	O
the	O
cleave	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
tool	O
requires	O
an	O
experienced	O
operator	O
to	O
produce	O
good	O
cleaves	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mechanical	O
cleavers	O
give	O
nicer	O
and	O
more	O
repeatable	O
cleaves	B-Device
.	O
</s>
