Abstract:
PURPOSE:To manufacture a base material for an infrared optical fiber having a core-clad waveguide structure, by erecting a fine wire at the center of a casting mold, pouring a melt for a clad, pulling out the wire, and filling molten glass for a clad into the resulting small cavity. CONSTITUTION:A casting mold is composed of an outer frame 1 divided into a plurality of parts 2, 2', 2'' and a ring 3 for clamping the frame 1. A fine metallic wire 6 of platinum or the like is erected at the center of the inner hollow 5 of the mold with a bottom cover 4 in-between, and molten glass for a clad is poured into the hollow 5. The wire 6 is heated beforehand by directly supplying an electric current or by other method, and it is pulled out immediately after pouring the molten glass. Molten glass for a core is filled into the resulting small cavity and annealed so as to prevent the production of stress. After finishing the molding, the parts 2, 2', 2'' are detached to obtain a base material for an infrared optical fiber. By this method, a fluoride glass base material for an optical fiber capable of transmitting infrared rays having about 2-6mum wavelengths can be manufactured.
Abstract:
Aspects of the embodiments are directed to systems and methods for forming an optical fiber in a low gravity environment, and an optical fiber formed in a low gravity environment. The system can include a preform holder configured to secure a preform; a heating element secured to a heating element stage and residing adjacent the preform holder; a heating element stage motor configured to move the heating element stage; a tension sensor; a spool; a spool tension motor coupled to the spool and configured to rotate the spool; and a control system communicably coupled to the heating element stage motor and the spool tension motor and configured to control the movement of the heating element stage based on a rotational speed of the spool. The optical fiber can include a fluoride composition, such ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF (ZBLAN), and can be characterized by an insertion loss in a range from 13 dB/1000 km to 120 dB/1000 km.
Abstract:
The inventive method relates to manufacturing a secondary preform (9) that is used for drawing an optical fiber (90) having a core and a cladding with different refractive indices. The method comprises the steps of - holding an outermost tube (0) with a closed lower end (09); - inserting at least an innermost tube (1) coaxially aligned into the outermost tube (0); - selecting at least one sort of intermediate glass particles (100) and one sort of innermost glass particles (101) according to the profile determined for the secondary preform (9) or the optical fiber (90); - filling the annular space (01) between the neighbouring tubes (0, 1) with the intermediate glass particles (100); - filling the innermost tube (1) that is empty or comprises a solid preform (10) with the innermost glass particles (101); - performing a final thermal process including thermally processing at least the innermost glass particles (101), the intermediate glass particles (100) and the outermost tube (0) in order to obtain a fused secondary preform (9).
Abstract:
High index-contrast fiber waveguides, materials for forming high index-contrast fiber waveguides, and applications of high index-contrast fiber waveguides are disclosed.
Abstract:
A single-mode preform (2) including a master preform (22) housed in an outer sleeve tube (20) is provided. An intermediate tube (21) between the master preform (22) and the outer tube (20) has a lower viscosity at the fibre drawing temperature than said master preform (22) and said outer tube (20). A method for making a single-mode optical fibre is also provided. The fibre has a more centred and less deformed core than in the prior art. By way of example, an optical amplifier may thus be produced.
Abstract:
An active single mode optical fiber has the core made of a rare earth doped non-oxide glass and the cladding made of an oxide glass. The glass of the core has a melting temperature lower than that of the glass of the cladding and lying within the range of the softening temperatures of the latter. In a preferred embodiment the core is made of a chalcogenide glass and the cladding is made of a lead silicate glass. To produce the fibre, a preform, obtained by introducing an element made of the non-oxide glass into the hole (2) of a capillary tube (1) made of the oxide glass, is brought to a temperature lying within the range of softening temperatures of the oxide glass and not lower than the melting temperature of the non-oxide glass, and is drawn. The capillary tube (1), during the drawing process, serves as a container for the molten glass of the core.
Abstract:
A method of making core holes in cast cladding glass for fabricating optical fiber preforms to make single and multimode optical fibers. Liquid cladding glass is poured into a casting mold having a metallic wire (e.g. Pt wire) that is translated through the liquid glass as it cools so that the wire essentially carves out a smooth cylindrical core hole along the cylindrical axis of the cooled cladding glass. The method substantially reduces surface contamination at the interface of the core hole and the cladding glass because any liquid glass that comes in contact with the metallic wire is removed during the process, leaving behind a pristine glass surface. The glass may be heavy metal fluoride glass, such as ZBLAN.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus are provided for drawing a self-aligned core fiber free of surface contamination and inserting the core fiber into a cladding material to make an optical fiber preform. Single or multi-mode optical fibers having high quality core-clad interfaces can be directly drawn from the preforms described herein.