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:
An optical preform includes plural material components including a core material and a cladding material. A component of the optical preform is manufactured by a process of preparing a sol-gel solution comprising at least 3 mole % of a catalyst. The process further includes forming a wet gel monolith by allowing the sol-gel solution to undergo gelation. The process further includes drying and shrinking the wet gel monolith by exposing the wet gel monolith to a temporal temperature profile.
Abstract:
An optical fiber preform having a low core noncircularity and eccentricity for producing an optical fiber having an improved polarization mode dispersion, a method for producing the preform, and an optical fiber produced from the preform. The optical fiber preform is produced by the following steps. Diameter-reduced portions 11a and 11b are formed in the vicinity of the ends of the glass pipe 11. A glass rod 12 is inserted into the glass pipe 11. The glass rod 12 is fixed to the glass pipe 11 at the diameter-reduced portion 11a. The glass pipe 11 and the glass rod 12 are heat-unified from the diameter-reduced portion 11b forward to the diameter-reduced portion 11a. The optical fiber preform has a core noncircularity of at most 1.5%. The optical fiber has a polarization mode dispersion of at most 0.15 ps/km1/2 at a wavelength of 1,550 nm.
Abstract:
The present invention discloses a method of fabricating rare earth-doped preforms for optical fibers. A silica soot is deposited as a layer with high porosity on an inner surface of a silica-based tube by a modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) process at a temperature high enough to produce the silica soot but low enough to avoid sintering of the soot into the silica-based tube. The silica-based tube is then immersed in a solution including a rare earth element and a codopant element for impregnation. The excess solution is drained and the silica-based tube is dried in a stream of chlorine and inert gas at an elevated temperature. Then, the rare earth element and the codopant element are oxidized under an oxygen partial pressure at a temperature high enough to overcome kinetic limitations against oxidation. Finally, the soot layer is consolidated while flowing a mixture of chlorides of a second codopant element and oxygen at a sintering temperature at which the second codopant element reacts with oxygen to form codopant oxide which is delivered around the rare earth element oxide deposited in the soot layer. In the method of the current invention, one or more rare earth elements are codoped with preferred codopants including but not limited to Ge, Al, P and/or B to enhance the performance of the rare earth ions. Other dopants may also be used in conjunction with the preferred dopants for modifying the refractive index of the core.
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:
The present invention discloses a method of fabricating rare earth-doped preforms for optical fibers. A silica soot is deposited as a layer with high porosity on an inner surface of a silica-based tube by a modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) process at a temperature high enough to produce the silica soot but low enough to avoid sintering of the soot into the silica-based tube. The silica-based tube is then immersed in a solution including a rare earth element and a codopant element for impregnation. The excess solution is drained and the silica-based tube is dried in a stream of chlorine and inert gas at an elevated temperature. Then, the rare earth element and the codopant element are oxidized under an oxygen partial pressure at a temperature high enough to overcome kinetic limitations against oxidation. Finally, the soot layer is consolidated while flowing a mixture of chlorides of a second codopant element and oxygen at a sintering temperature at which the second codopant element reacts with oxygen to form codopant oxide which is delivered around the rare earth element oxide deposited in the soot layer. In the method of the current invention, one or more rare earth elements are codoped with preferred codopants including but not limited to Ge, Al, P and/or B to enhance the performance of the rare earth ions. Other dopants may also be used in conjunction with the preferred dopants for modifying the refractive index of the core.
Abstract:
A composite material for supporting propagation of light of a wavelength null, comprising a plurality of cylinders each having a longitudinal axis, the cylinders being separated from each other by regions of a matrix material and the cylinders having their longitudinal axes substantially parallel to each other, and each cylinder having a diameter, in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, that is small enough for the composite material to be substantially optically homogeneous in respect of light of wavelength null.
Abstract:
Disclosed is a method of making an optical fiber preform having at least one annular region of depressed refractive index. A tube of silica doped with fluorine and/or boron is overclad with silica soot. A core rod is inserted into the overclad tube and the resultant assembly is heated while chlorine flows between the tube and the core rod to clean the adjacent surfaces. When the soot sinters, the tube collapses onto and fuses to the rod. The resultant tubular structure is formed into an optical fiber which exhibits low attenuation as a result of the low seed count at the interface between the inner core and the region that is doped with florine and/or boron.
Abstract:
An optical waveguide fiber or body having a doped outer region which can be utilized in an optical coupler, a preform which can serve as the precursor for the fiber, an optical coupler, and methods of making same. Water, for example in the form of H2O and/or D2O, may be added to the cladding of the optical waveguide fiber or body.
Abstract:
A glass-ceramic which is substantially and desirably totally transparent, and which contains a predominant crystal phase of forsterite. The glass-ceramic is formed from precursor glasses having the following compositions, in weight percent on an oxide basis: SiO2 30-60; Al2O3 10-25; MgO 13-30; K2O 8-20; TiO2 0-10; and GeO2 0-25. The glass-ceramic may be doped with up to 1 wt. % chromium oxide to impart optical activity thereto.