Abstract:
Heavy metal fluoride glasses are made by a process that requires high purity fluoride constituent compounds, some of which are further refined by sublimation. Handling occurs in a protective atmosphere such as argon. The charge is placed in a sealed modified optical growth furnace having the ability of atmosphere control, heat control and position control of the charge. The charge is firstly raised to its fusion temperature, then to an admixture temperature, and finally to a higher temperature. The charge is immediately removed from the heating source and quickly cooled through the critical crystallization region. The total heating and cooling time being about one to two hours. The resulting glass ingot is partially annealed. The HMFG of (Zr or Hf)F.sub.4 -BaF.sub.2 -LaF.sub.3 -AlF.sub.2 consistently exhibits low levels of both light scattering and bulk OH contact, along with very reproducible hardness, thermal parameters, and UV and IR edge absorption behavior.
Abstract:
A chalcogenide glass rod and/or a fluoride glass rod are covered with a thermally shrinkable synthetic resin tube, the resulting assembly being heated under vacuum to produce a preform, and a thermally shrinkable synthetic resin tube with a plurality of said preforms formed in a bundle and inserted thereinto is drawn again under heating.
Abstract:
Fluoride glass cladded optical fibers are produced by rotationally casting a fluoride glass cladding tube, introducing core glass melt therein to form a preform, and drawing the preform into a fiber. Disclosed are methods whereby the process may be adopted to the production of multimode, stepped index profile waveguides, single mode waveguides, and waveguides having parabolic index profiles.
Abstract:
An optical fiber with a graded index crystalline core (2,3) is made by filling a tube (1) with a mixture of two salts for which the one with the higher melting point has the lower refractive index. A graded composition results from partition effects when the fused salts are slowly cooled so that solidification proceeds uniformly inwardly from the tube wall. Fiber is pulled conventionally from the reesulting preform, and later is passed through a short hot zone to convert the core into single crystal form.
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:
Various embodiments of optical fiber designs and fabrication processes for ultra small core fibers (USCF) are disclosed. In some embodiments, the USCF includes a core that is at least partially surrounded by a region comprising first features. The USCF further includes a second region at least partially surrounding the first region. The second region includes second features. In an embodiment, the first features are smaller than the second features, and the second features have a filling fraction greater than about 90 percent. The first features and/or the second features may include air holes. Embodiments of the USCF may provide dispersion tailoring. Embodiments of the USCF may be used with nonlinear optical devices configured to provide, for example, a frequency comb or a supercontinuum.
Abstract:
Optical devices and a method for manufacturing these devices. One optical device includes a core region having a first medium of a first refractive index n1, and includes a cladding region exterior to the core region. The cladding region includes a second medium having a second refractive index n2 higher than the first refractive index n1. The cladding region further includes a third medium having a third refractive index n3 lower than the first refractive index n1. The third medium is dispersed in the second medium to form a plurality of microstructures in the cladding region. Another optical device includes a plurality of core regions including at least one core having a doped first medium, and includes a cladding region exterior to the plurality of core regions. The core regions and the cladding region include a phosphate glass.
Abstract:
A method of forming a nanowire is disclosed. In one embodiment, a primary preform is formed comprising at least one central region and a support structure. The primary preform is then drawn to a cane, which is then inserted into an outer portion, to form a secondary preform. The secondary preform is then drawn until the at least one central portion is a nanowire. The method can produce nanowires of far greater length than existing methods, and can reduce the likelihood of damaging the nanowire when handling.
Abstract:
Improved photonic band-gap optical fibre. The present invention relates in particular to improved photonic band-gap optical fibres that can confine light to a core region of the fibre by the action of both a photonic band-gap cladding and an antiresonant core boundary, at the interface between the core and cladding. According to embodiments of the present invention, a fibre has a core, comprising an elongate region of relatively low refractive index, a photonic bandgap structure arranged to provide a photonic bandgap over a range of wavelengths of light including an operating wavelength of light, the structure, in a transverse cross section of the waveguide, surrounding the core and comprising elongate relatively low refractive index regions interspersed with elongate relatively high refractive index regions and a relatively high refractive index boundary at the interface between the core defect and the photonic bandgap structure, the boundary having a thickness around the core such that the boundary is substantially anti-resonant at the operating wavelength of the fibre. In preferred embodiments, the core boundary is a relatively constant thickness region of glass around a hollow core.
Abstract:
In one aspect, a method is provided for molding from glass complex optical components such as lenses, microlens, arrays of microlenses, and gratings or surface-relief diffusers having fine or hyperfine microstructures suitable for optical or electro-optical applications. In another aspect, mold masters or patterns, which define the profile of the optical components, made on metal alloys, particularly titanium or nickel alloys, or refractory compositions, with or without a non-reactive coating are provided. Given that molding optical components from oxide glasses has numerous drawbacks, it has been discovered in accordance with the invention that non-oxide glasses substantially eliminates these drawbacks. The non-oxide glasses, such as chalcogenide, chalcohalide, and halide glasses, may be used in the mold either in bulk, planar, or power forms. In the mold, the glass is heated to about 10-110null C., preferably about 50null C., above its transition temperature (Tg), at which temperature the glass has a viscosity that permits it to flow and conform exactly to the pattern of the mold.