Canning, JBuckley, EGroothoff, NLuther-Davies, BarryZagari, J2015-12-130030-4018http://hdl.handle.net/1885/71940The demonstration of ultraviolet (UV) laser ablation technique for cleaving of air-polymer structure (APF) fiber was presented. ArF exciplex laser with an unstable resonator cavity with pulse-to-pulse intensity fluctuations was used for the study. The thermal diffusion time across a 200 μm diameter was observed to be 500 ms. The polymer waveguide technology necessitates resolution of subsequent more complex and challenging technical issues.Keywords: Irradiation; Laser ablation; Optical resolving power; Optical waveguides; Polymethyl methacrylates; Thermal effects; Ultraviolet radiation; Air-polymer structured (APS) fibers; Optical fibers200210.1016/S0030-4018(01)01727-82015-12-11