Multilayered optical structures

• US 20030232200A1
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Published: 12/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NeoPhotonics Corporation (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Bi, Xiangxin, Bryan, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,039,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/446
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 9/04 comprising such particular substance as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a glass layer B32B17/06; layered products with at least two ceramic layers composed mainly of ceramic B32B18/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/1415 Reactant delivery systems
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/1423 Reactant deposition burners
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 19/1484 Means for supporting, rotating or translating the article being formed
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2203/34 Plural core other than bundles, e.g. double core
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2205/40 Monitoring or regulating the draw tension or draw rate
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/02 Elongated flat flame or slit-nozzle type
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/34 Liquid, e.g. mist or aerosol
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/66 Relative motion
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2207/85 with vapour generated from liquid glass precursors, e.g. directly by heating the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/01413 Reactant delivery systems C03B37/01807 takes precedence; devices therefor in general B01D1/00, B01J4/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/0142 Reactant deposition burners
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/01486 Means for supporting, rotating or translating the preforms being formed, e.g. lathes C03B37/01884 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/027 Fibres composed of different sorts of glass, e.g. glass optical fibresC03B37/0253, C03B37/028 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3201 Alkali metal oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3203 Lithium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3215 Barium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3217 Aluminum oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. bauxite, alpha-alumina
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3224 Rare earth oxide or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. scandium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3225 Yttrium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3227 : Lanthanum oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3232 : Titanium oxides or titanates, e.g. rutile or anatase
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3234 : Titanates, not containing zirconia
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3244 : Zirconium oxides, zirconates, hafnium oxides, hafnates, or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3251 : Niobium oxides, niobates, tantalum oxides, tantalates, or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3258 : Tungsten oxides, tungstates, or oxide-forming salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3287 : Germanium oxides, germanates or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. copper germanate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3293 : Tin oxides, stannates or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. indium tin oxide [ITO]
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3294 : Antimony oxides, antimonates, antimonites or oxide forming salts thereof, indium antimonate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3296 : Lead oxides, plumbates or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. silver plumbate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3298 : Bismuth oxides, bismuthates or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. zinc bismuthate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3409 : Boron oxide, borates, boric acids, or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. borax
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3418 : Silicon oxide, silicic acids, or oxide forming salts thereof, e.g. silica sol, fused silica, silica fume, cristobalite, quartz or flint glass constituents C04B2235/36
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/3463 : Alumino-silicates other than clay, e.g. mullite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 35/14 : based on silica
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/483 : using coherent light, UV to IR, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 26/00 : Coating not provided for in groups C23C2/00 - C23C24/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12147 : Coupler
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/1215 : Splitter
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12176 : Etching
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02042 : Multicore optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12002 : Three-dimensional structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/13 : Integrated optical circuits characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/132 : by deposition of thin films
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/57 : Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates

Abstract

Monolithic optical structures include a plurality of layer with each layer having an isolated optical pathway confined within a portion of the layer. The monolithic optical structure can be used as an optical fiber preform. Alternatively or additionally, the monolithic optical structure can include integrated optical circuits within one or more layers of the structure. Monolithic optical structures can be formed by performing multiple passes of a substrate through a flowing particle stream. The deposited particles form an optical material following consolidation. Flexible optical fibers include a plurality of independent light channels extending along the length of the optical fiber. The fibers can be pulled from an appropriate preform.

Claims

1. A monolithic optical structure comprising a plurality of layers with each layer having an isolated optical pathway confined within a portion of the layer.

2. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 further comprising a substrate comprising non-optical material.

3. The monolithic optical structure of claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises silicon.

4. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of layers comprises at least three layers.

5. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of layers comprises at least five layers.

6. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of layers comprises at least ten layers.

7. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein the isolated optical pathways comprise an optical material having a different index-of-refraction from cladding material around the isolated optical pathways within the monlithic optical structure.

8. The monolithic optical structure of claim 7 wherein the optical material of at least one of the isolated optical pathways comprises a first doped silicon oxide.

9. The monolithic optical structure of claim 8 wherein the cladding material comprises a second doped silicon oxide.

10. The monolithic optical structure of claim 7 wherein the optical material of at least one of the isolated optical pathways comprises a crystalline optical material.

11. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein each layer has a thickness no more than about 250 microns.

12. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein each layer has a thickness from about 3 microns to about 100 microns.

13. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein each layer has a thickness from about 4 microns to about 20 microns.

14. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein at least one layer includes a plurality of isolated optical pathways.

15. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein at least one isolated optical pathway comprises an integrated optical circuit comprising a plurality of optical devices distinguishable from each other by the presence of optical material having different optical properties.

16. The monolithic optical structure of claim 15 wherein the plurality of optical devices comprises an electro-optical device.

17. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein at least one of the isolated optical pathways comprises an optical core of approximately uniform composition extending through a linear dimension of the structure.

18. The monolithic optical structure of claim 1 wherein the plurality of layers comprises at least about ten isolated optical pathways each comprising an optical core of approximately uniform composition extending through a linear dimension of the structure.

19. A method for forming a monolithic optical structure, the method comprising performing multiple passes of a structure through a flowing stream of product particle wherein the composition of the product particles changes between passes and wherein the product particles form multiple layers, each layer having an optical material following consolidation with a plurality of layers having an isolated pathway confined within a portion of the layer.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the stream of particles has a cross section characterized by a major axis and a minor axis with the major axis being at least a factor of two larger than the minor axis.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the major axis is at least a factor of five larger than the minor axis.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the major axis is sufficiently large that the product stream simultaneously coats the structure along an entire linear dimension extending across the structure resulting in the deposition of an entire coating of the structure with one linear pass through the product stream.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the stream of particles is formed in a reaction driven by a focused radiation beam that intersects a flowing reactant stream.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the flowing reactant stream comprises an aerosol.

25. A flexible optical fiber having a plurality of independent light channels comprising a core optical material extending along the length of the optical fiber.

26. The optical fiber of claim 25 wherein the plurality of independent light channels comprises at least three independent light channels.

27. The optical fiber of claim 25 wherein the core optical material comprises a doped silicon oxide.

28. A method of forming an optical fiber comprising:

pulling a patterned/layered preform while heating the preform to a softening temperature to form an optical fiber with a plurality of independent light channels comprising core optical material.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the pulling of the optical fiber is performed at a rate from about 1 meter per minute to about 100 meters per minute.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the pulling of the optical fiber is performed under a tension from about 10 grams to about 40 grams.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein the plurality of independent light channels is at least five independent light channels.

32. A method for forming a structure with at least three particle coatings covering at least a portion of the substrate surface, the method comprising:

depositing at least a portion of a particle stream onto a substrate by moving the substrate through the particle stream three times within a period of no more than about one minute.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein at least one of the particle coatings has a different composition from the other two particle coatings and wherein the composition of the particle stream changes between movements of the substrate through the particle stream.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the deposition rate is at least about 10 g/hr.

35. The method of claim 32 further comprising reacting a flowing reactant stream to form the stream of particles.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the reactant stream has a cross section perpendicular to the propagation direction characterized by a major axis and a minor axis, the major axis being at least a factor of two greater than the minor axis.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein reacting the reaction is driven by a radiation beam and wherein the reactant stream is elongated in a direction along the propagation direction of the radiation beam to produce a line of particles with the relative motion of the substrate sweeping at least a portion of the line of product particles across the substrate.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein the reaction is driven by a light beam.

39. The method of claim 32 wherein the deposition of the particles comprises moving the substrate relative to the stream of product particles at a rate of at least about 0.1 centimeters per second.

40. The method of claim 32 wherein the deposition of the particles comprises moving the substrate relative to the stream of product particles at a rate from about 1 centimeters per second to about 30 centimeters per second.

41. The method of claim 32 wherein the depositing of the three particle coatings is performed in no more than about 15 seconds.

42. The method of claim 32 wherein the depositing of the three particle coatings is performed in no more than about 9 seconds.

43. The method of claim 32 wherein the at least three particle coatings comprises at least five particle coatings and the method further comprises depositing at least a portion of a particle stream onto a substrate by moving the substrate through the particle stream five times within a period of no more than about one minute.

44. The method of claim 32 further comprising consolidating the three particle coatings into three layers of optical material having different optical properties.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the consolidating of the three particle coatings is performed following the deposition of the three layers.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein the consolidating of the three particle coatings is performed in at least two heating steps with at least one of the heating steps being performed prior to completing the deposition of the three particles coatings.

47. An optical fiber preform comprising a plurality of layers of optical material forming a plurality of isolated optical pathways extending through a linear dimension of the preform.

48. The optical fiber preform of claim 47 wherein a plurality of isolated optical pathways are located on different layers.

49. The optical fiber preform of claim 47 wherein a plurality of optical pathways are located within one layer.

50. The optical fiber preform of claim 47 wherein the isolated optical pathways form a two dimensional array extending through a linear dimension of the preform with a plurality of layers having a plurality of isolated optical pathways.

51. A computer comprising nonvolatile optical memory storing a plurality of programs that are selectively accessible.

52. A method of operating a computer comprising selecting a program from non-volatile optical memory and executing the program, the non-volatile optical memory comprising a plurality of programs.