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 low loss cladded halide fiber for transmission of infrared energy is provided, and a process for making the same by growing a single crystal ingot from a powder of a core halide, extruding or machining the ingot to provide a cylindrical billet core, assembling the billet core, preferably wrapped in a polymer film, within a sleeve member of a second halide of lower refractive index than the core, prepared in the same fashion as the core, and coaxially core drilled to accept the billet core. The assembled composite billet is covered with a polymer film, heated, and extruded to form a polymer coated fiber having a diameter in the range of 75 to 2,000 microns. The extruded fiber may be rapidly cooled as it leaves the extrusion die to minimize grain size and scattering loss and may be contained in a coaxial outer strength member.
Abstract:
Apparatus and method for forming ultrapure glass rods (13) or fibers (28) from a polycrystalline rod (11) in which the method comprises the steps of heating a selected short section of the rod in the first furnace (21) to form a molten zone of the rod, heating a second selected short section of the rod in a second furnace (19) which initially is separated from the first furnace by a very short gap to form a second molten zone of the rod which initially is contiguous with and part of the first molten zone of the rod to form a single molten zone 14, and then gradually moving the first and second furnaces apart to first form a rod (13) and then, ultimately, a fiber (28), of ultrapure glass in the increasingly widening gap forming therebetween.
Abstract:
A process is disclosed for producing an infrared light transmitting optical fiber by drawing a rod of single crystal or polycrystalline metal halide into a fiber through a die; also disclosed is a process for producing an infrared light transmitting optical fiber of step-index type by forming around a single crystal or polycrystalline fiber core, an intimate cladding crystal layer having a lower refractive index than the core by working in the temperature range that does not cause recrystallization of the core or cladding during working.
Abstract:
A glass optical waveguide preform is formed by chemical reaction of gaseous and/or vaporized ingredients within a glass substrate tube. A reactant feed tube extends into a first end of the substrate tube. One of the reactants flows through the feed tube, and another flows through the annular channel between the feed and substrate tubes. The reactants combine just downstream of the end of the feed tube and react to form particulate material, at least a portion of which deposit in the substrate tube. The output end of the feed tube traverses the substrate tube so that the region of maximum soot deposition moves along the length of the substrate tube. A hot zone traverses the substrate tube in synchronism with the feed tube to sinter the deposited soot.
Abstract:
PURPOSE:To obtain an optical fiber capable of transmitting light having wavelengths in a region ranging from the near ultraviolet region to the intermediate infrared region with small loss, by sticking a molten mixture of cesium bromide with cesium iodide to the outside of a core fiber of cesium iodide and by solidifying the mixture. CONSTITUTION:A core fiber 4 of cesium iodide is manufactured by the stepanov method or other method. A molten mixture 2 consisting of 2-57mol% cesium bromide and the balance cesium iodide is prepared and charged into a crucible 1. The mixture 2 is allowed to flow out from a circular slit 3 positioned at the tip of the crucible 1 in contact with the fiber 4 at a prescribed flow rate, and the mixture 2 is stuck to the outside of the fiber 4 while drawing the fiber 4 downward with rollers 5 at a prescribed rate. The coat of the stuck mixture is solidified by cooling with water-cooled pipes 6 to form a clad. Thus, the desired optical fiber is obtd.
Abstract:
The present invention is generally directed to a photonic bad gap fiber and/or fiber preform with a central structured region comprising a first non-silica based glass and a jacket comprising a second non-silica based glass surrounding the central structured region, where the Littleton softening temperature of the second glass is at least one but no more than ten degrees Celsius lower than the Littleton softening temperature of the first glass, or where the base ten logarithm of the glass viscosity in poise of the second glass is at least 0.01 but no more than 2 lower than the base ten logarithm of the glass viscosity in poise of the first glass at a fiber draw temperature. Also disclosed is a method of making a photonic bad gap fiber and/or fiber preform.
Abstract:
A known method for producing synthetic quartz glass comprises: (a) reacting a carbonic silicon compound-containing raw material with oxygen in a reaction zone into SiO2 particles, (b) precipitating the SiO2 particles on a sedimentation area by forming a porous SiO2 soot body containing hydrogen and hydroxyl groups, (c) drying the porous SiO2 soot body, and (d) glazing to the synthetic quartz glass by heating the soot body up to a glazing temperature. In order to facilitate cost-efficient production of quartz glass by means of pyrolysing or hydrolysing a carbon-containing silicon compound using a carbon-containing raw material, the invention describes the production of a soot body with a carbon content within the range of 1 ppm by weight to 50 ppm by weight.