Abstract:
Fluoride glass optical fibers are fabricated by minimizing the number of high-temperature operations. A tube comprising an external layer of a first fluoride glass of composition suitable to form the cladding of the fiber and an internal layer of a second fluoride glass of composition suitable to form the core of the fiber is prepared by a conventional rotational casting technique. Then, the internal layer is thinned by means of chemical etching at ambient temperature until the attainment of a ratio between the volumes of the two layers that corresponds to the ratio between the core and cladding diameters required for a single mode fiber, and the resulting tube is drawn.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are provided for forming a glass preform which can be directly drawn into a single or multi-mode optical fiber. Single or multi-mode fibers drawn from the preforms described herein have high quality core-clad interfaces since the core and cladding materials are not exposed to crystallization temperatures upon the addition of the core material to cladding material.
Abstract:
A deposition method for vapor deposition of a film of fluorine-containing glass on a substrate in which said substrate is put into contact with fluxs of the vapors of the various constituents of said glass, wherein said vapor fluxs are emitted simultaneously from at least two crucibles, a first crucible containing a host bath and main metal fluorides that constitute said fluorine-containing glass, and at least one second crucible containing dopants constituted by at least one rare earth halide.
Abstract:
Lead-containing fluoride glass comprises 50-70 mol % of ZrF.sub.4, 3-5 mol % of LaF.sub.3, 0.1-3 mol % of YF.sub.3, and 2-15 mol % of NaF and/or LiF and/or CsF, where LaF.sub.3 +YF.sub.3 =4.5-6 mol %, and further comprises lead. An optical fiber comprises a core made of the lead-containing fluoride glass and a cladding surrounding the core. A process for producing an optical fiber comprises forming a base material for a core of the lead-containing fluoride glass, forming a base material for a cladding of fluoride glass containing 30-60 mol % of HfF.sub.4, and drawing the base materials into an optical fiber at a drawing temperature of 315.degree.-340.degree. C.
Abstract:
A method for manufacturing optical fibers from halide glass is provided. The method includes the steps of drawing a glass mass into a fiber in a dry gas atmosphere which contains a drying agent. In a further step of the process, an OH band which may still be present can be reduced by treating the fiber with a gaseous drying agent.
Abstract:
A process for producing optical fibers of high tensile strength, wherein the fiber is pulled from a glass mass of halide glass and includes surrounding the fiber and mass with a dry gas atmosphere containing a drying agent which reacts with moisture and this dry gas atmosphere includes fluorine-containing agents, in particular NF.sub.3, as the drying agent.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method and apparatus for drawing an elongated glass article such as a fiber optic device. The article is drawn upwardly from a source through the surface of a quantity of molten metal having a vertical temperature gradient. The source can be an elongated solid glass preform that is vertically positioned within the molten metal such that the temperature of that portion of the molten metal adjacent the upper end region is sufficiently high to heat that region to drawing temperature. The upper end region is pulled to form a tapered root, continued pulling resulting in the formation of an elongated article from the small diameter root end. The relative position of the root is maintained with respect to the surface of the molten metal during the drawing operation. Alternatively, the glass can be drawn from an orifice located within the molten metal.The apparatus includes container means for supporting the molten metal, and external or internal means for heating and/or cooling portions of the molten metal. The container can also be provided with baffle means for dividing the container into a plurality of chambers.
Abstract:
A halide glass core fiber is clad by providing two melts that selectively join to form the molten clad fiber in a temperature range from 580.degree. C. to 600.degree. C. A separate heating means controls the fiber melt at the die nozzle. Because of the low viscosity and the narrow proto congelation temperature zone, the clad fiber is extruded and drawn in the vertical direction counter the effect of gravity.
Abstract:
Heavy metal fluoride glasses are made by a process that requires high purity fluoride constituent compounds fluorinated oxides, or premelted glass cullet. The charge is placed in an enclosed furnace chamber having the ability of atmosphere control, heat control and position control of the charge. In particular, an inert, or nonreactive atmosphere or air is used in the furnace chamber as well as an oxygen-scavenging metal therein. The oxygen-scavenging metal at the high temperature produces a controlled oxygen partial pressure so that the air is essentially inert and non-reactive although the presence of a slightly oxidizing atmosphere is still required to produce the glass. The charge is rapidly raised to its fusion temperature and held at the temperature for a short time in proximity to an oxygen-scavenging material. The charge is immediately removed from the heating source and quickly cooled through the critical crystallization region. The total heating and cooling time being less than one hour. The HMFG or (Zr or Hf)F.sub.4 - BaF.sub.2 - LaF.sub.3 - AlF.sub.2 consistently exhibits high optical homogeneity and no absorption due to carbon dioxide along with very reproducible hardness, thermal parameters, and UV and IR edge absorption behavior.
Abstract:
A process for treating a halide, e.g. fluoride, glass composition, characterized by contacting a melt of the composition (3) with dry oxygen (6). Oxygen, simply on contact with a fluoride glass melt, converts transition metals, e.g. from Fe(II) to Fe(III), from one stable state to another and thereby reduces loss at transmission wavelengths in optical fibre, e.g. the loss at 2.6 .mu.m attributabel to Fe(II).