Systems and methods for fabricating varying waveguide optical fiber device
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating an optical fiber device, comprising:
- (a) fabricating a preform including a core and at least one cladding region, the cladding region having a higher viscosity and the core region having a lower viscosity, the relative viscosities of the cladding region and core having been chosen such that, when tension is applied to an optical fiber drawn from the preform, the applied tension is primarily borne by the cladding region, thereby causing a viscoelastic strain to be frozen into the cladding region, while creating a minimal viscoelastic strain in the core;
(b) drawing the preform into an optical fiber under an applied tension, such that a viscoelastic strain is frozen into the cladding region, the frozen-in viscoelastic strain decreasing the cladding region refractive index;
(c) changing the cladding region refractive index in a section of the optical fiber by heating the section of optical fiber so as to relax the viscoelastic strain frozen into the cladding region in the section of optical fiber, thereby increasing the cladding region refractive index in the section of optical fiber.
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Abstract
Systems and methods are described for fabricating a varying-waveguide optical fiber. In one described method, a preform is fabricated having a core and at least one cladding region. The cladding region has a higher viscosity and the core region has a lower viscosity. The relative viscosities of the cladding region and core are chosen such that, when tension is applied to an optical fiber drawn from the preform, the applied tension is primarily borne by the cladding region thereby causing a viscoelastic strain to be frozen into the cladding region, while creating a minimal viscoelastic strain in the core. The method further includes drawing the preform into an optical fiber under an applied tension, such that a viscoelastic strain is frozen into the cladding region the frozen-in viscoelastic strain decreasing the cladding region refractive index. The cladding region refractive index is changed in a section of the optical fiber by heating the section so as to relax the viscoclastic strain frozen into the cladding region in the section of fiber, thereby increasing the cladding region refractive index in the section of fiber.
8 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating an optical fiber device, comprising:
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(a) fabricating a preform including a core and at least one cladding region, the cladding region having a higher viscosity and the core region having a lower viscosity, the relative viscosities of the cladding region and core having been chosen such that, when tension is applied to an optical fiber drawn from the preform, the applied tension is primarily borne by the cladding region, thereby causing a viscoelastic strain to be frozen into the cladding region, while creating a minimal viscoelastic strain in the core;
(b) drawing the preform into an optical fiber under an applied tension, such that a viscoelastic strain is frozen into the cladding region, the frozen-in viscoelastic strain decreasing the cladding region refractive index;
(c) changing the cladding region refractive index in a section of the optical fiber by heating the section of optical fiber so as to relax the viscoelastic strain frozen into the cladding region in the section of optical fiber, thereby increasing the cladding region refractive index in the section of optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for fabricating an optical device, comprising:
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(a) fabricating an optical fiber including a core and at least one cladding region outside of the core, the cladding region having a higher viscosity and the core having a lower viscosity, the relative viscosities of the cladding region and core having been chosen such that, when tension is applied to the optical fiber, the applied tension is primarily borne by the cladding region, thereby allowing a viscoelastic strain to be frozen into the cladding region, while creating a minimal viscoelastic strain in the core;
(b) heating a section of the fiber at or above its strain point while applying a non-zero tension to the region so as to induce a viscoelastic strain state in the cladding region thereby changing the cladding region refractive index;
(c) freezing the viscoelastic strain state into the fiber;
thus producing a refractive index profile that is modulated along the fiber'"'"'s length. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for fabricating an optical device, comprising:
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(a) fabricating an optical fiber including a core and at least one cladding region, the cladding region having a higher viscosity and the core having a lower viscosity, the relative viscosities of the cladding and core regions having been chosen such that, when tension is applied to the optical fiber, the applied tension is primarily borne by the cladding region thereby allowing a viscoelastic strain to be frozen into the cladding region, while creating a minimal viscoelastic strain in the core;
(b) heating a section of the fiber to a temperature that is at or near the fiber'"'"'s strain point; and
(c) applying a controlled tension to the fiber, the applied tension being modulated so as to freeze a modulated strain state into the glass, thereby creating a modulated cladding region refractive index profile. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for fabricating an optical fiber device, comprising:
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(a) fabricating a preform including a core and at least one cladding region, the cladding region having a higher viscosity and the core region having a lower viscosity, the relative viscosities of the cladding and core regions having been chosen such that, when tension is applied to an optical fiber drawn from the preform, the applied tension is primarily borne by the cladding region, thereby causing a viscoelastic strain to be frozen into the cladding region, while creating a minimal viscoelastic strain in the core;
(b) drawing the preform into an optical fiber under an applied tension, such that a viscoelastic strain is frozen into the cladding region, the frozen-in viscoelastic strain decreasing the cladding region refractive index; and
(c) modifying the fiber'"'"'s photosensitivity in a section of the fiber by heating the section so as to relax the viscoelastic strain frozen into the cladding region in the section of fiber.
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21. An optical fiber device, comprising:
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an optical fiber having a core and at least one cladding region, the cladding region having a higher viscosity and the core region having a lower viscosity, the relative viscosities of the cladding region and core having been chosen such that a desired viscoelastic strain state may be frozen into, or relaxed out of, the cladding region, creating a minimal change in the viscoelastic strain state of the core, the cladding region having a viscoelastic strain state that has been modulated to produce a modulated refractive index along a length of the cladding region. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A system for fabricating an optical fiber device, comprising:
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at least one fiber guide for holding an optical fiber to be processed;
a heat source for applying a controlled amount of heat to a section of the optical fiber;
a tensioning assembly for applying a controlled tension to the optical fiber;
a measurement device for monitoring optical properties of the optical fiber as it is processed; and
a controller for controlling the amount of heat and applied tension based upon the optical properties monitored by the measurement device, the controller using the controlled heat and applied tension to modulate the optical fiber'"'"'s viscoelastic strain state.
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Specification