Abstract:
A method for making high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a sealed ampoule with chemical components enclosed inside, a two-zone furnace, a convection heating/mixing step, and multiple fining steps. Initially, the sealed ampoule is oriented vertically within the two-zone furnace and heated to melt the chemical components contained within, and a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone such that the bottom zone has a higher temperature. This temperature gradient causes convection currents within the viscous liquid until it is sufficiently mixed due to the convective flow. Then the temperature gradient is reversed such that the top zone now has a higher temperature and the convective flow ceases. The furnace temperatures are then reduced over a period of time, with holds at multiple temperatures for fining and cooling to form a solid glass.
Abstract:
Disclosed herein are methods for producing glass articles by hot-melt processing techniques. The methods involve the use of arsenic-free chalcogenide glasses. Despite the absence of arsenic, the chalcogenide glasses have low characteristic temperatures and are stable against crystallization. The low characteristic temperatures render the glasses capable of being hot-melt processed using conventional equipment. The glasses disclosed herein are suitable for the fabrication of optical devices, including but not limited to IR-transmitting optical devices.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, a chalcogenide glass optical fiber is produced by forming a billet including a chalcogenide glass mass and a polymer mass in a stacked configuration, heating the billet to a temperature below the melting point of the chalcogenide glass, extruding the billet in the ambient environment to form a preform rod having a chalcogenide glass core and a polymer jacket, and drawing the preform rod.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for synthesizing high optical quality multicomponent chalcogenide glasses without refractive index perturbations due to striae, phase separation or crystal formation using a two-zone furnace and multiple fining steps. The top and bottom zones are initially heated to the same temperature, and then a temperature gradient is created between the top zone and the bottom zone. The fining and cooling phase is divided into multiple steps with multiple temperature holds.
Abstract:
Optical fibers with previously unattainable characteristics and the method of producing the same are disclosed and claimed herein. Specifically, the application discloses and claims a method to produce ZBLAN, Indium Fluoride, Germanate and Chalcogenide optical fibers and other similar optical fibers in a microgravity environment. The resulting optical fibers have unique molecular structures not attainable when optical fibers with the identical chemical composition are produced in a standard 1 gravity environment.The method of the invention requires a novel draw tower and modified preform, which are specifically designed to operate in microgravity environments. A lead wire is inserted into the preform that, when wound onto a spool in the draw tower, causes a fiber to form. The pull rate of the lead wire controls the diameter of the fiber.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, a chalcogenide glass optical fiber is produced by forming a billet including a chalcogenide glass mass and a polymer mass in a stacked configuration, heating the billet to a temperature below the melting point of the chalcogenide glass, extruding the billet in the ambient environment to form a preform rod having a chalcogenide glass core and a polymer jacket, and drawing the preform rod.
Abstract:
An apparatus used for the fabrication of fiberoptic waveguides utilizing a novel melting and resolidifying apparatus and method while under microgravity conditions is disclosed. In one embodiment, the optical fiber core has a lower melting point than the cladding and the core is melted and resolidified under microgravity conditions. The molten lower melting point core is thus contained by the higher melting point cladding while under microgravity conditions.
Abstract:
The disclosure is directed to an all glass method that frustrates the internal reflection on the outside diameter of an optical fiber's glass cladding thus allowing the light to be directed to a light absorbing material/ medium and allowing the desired light in the core of the fiber to be preserved with no loss. The frustration is achieved by having at least one glass frustrater in glass-to-glass contact with the outermost cladding layer of the optical fiber. The glass frustrater is made of a glass that has a glass transition point lower that both the core and cladding glasses of the fiber. Chalcogenide and phosphate glasses are among the glasses suitable for this application.
Abstract:
Optical fibers and optical fiber tapers have application within many optical systems and optical devices. To date manufacturing such fibers and fiber tapers has been restricted to drawing constant diameter fibers in gravity driven processes and symmetric tapers through pulling with localized heating. However, it would be beneficial to be able to generate arbitrary profiles when pulling an optical fiber into a fiber taper allowing an initial uniform section, reducing transition, wire section, increasing transition and final uniform section. Further, the technique further allows novel optical fiber geometries to be fabricated, which the inventors refer to a hybrid tapers wherein additional elements such as coatings, which provide mechanical and environment protection, may be incorporated into the initial preform and processed simultaneously with the fabrication of the optical taper such that the final fabricated hybrid tapers are mechanically robust and handlable thereby improving manufacturing yield and reducing cost.
Abstract:
A nonlinear optic article for difference frequency generation is provided. The article comprises a wave mixer configured to generate a difference frequency mixing signal, the wave mixer comprising a compound made from one or more noncentrosymmetric crystal-glass phase-change materials comprising one or more chalcogenide compounds that are structurally one dimensional and comprise a polymeric 1∞[PSe6−] chain or a polymeric 1∞[P2Se62−] chain, wherein the one or more chalcogenide compounds are capable of difference frequency generation.