Optical waveguide for fiber-optic amplifiers for the wavelength region around 1550 nm

• US 5,710,852 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 01/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel NV (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel NV (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wise, Robert E.
• Application Number:
  US08/462,702
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 385/123, 385/142, 372/6
• US Class Current: 385/123
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/10 doped with boron C03B2201/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/12 doped with fluorine C03B2201/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/28 doped with phosphorus
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/31 doped with germanium
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/34 doped with rare earth metals, i.e. with Sc, Y or lanthanides, e.g. for laser-amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/36 doped with rare earth metals and aluminium, e.g. Er-Al co-doped
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/01807 Reactant delivery systems, e.g. reactant deposition burners
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/30 Deposition of compounds, mixtures or solid solutions, e.g. borides, carbides, nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06708 Constructional details of the fibre, e.g. compositions, cross-section, shape or tapering optical fibres as passive waveguides G02B6/02

Abstract

An optical waveguide for fiber-optic amplifiers is disclosed where the Progression of the fluorescence band of optical waveguides that are doped with erbium and aluminum can be additionally flattened if the core contains fluorine, e.g., in the form of ErF₃ and AIF₃, as an additional doping agent.

Claims

1. An improved optical waveguide having silicon dioxide as the base material, the improved optical waveguide comprising:

A) a core comprising;

1) at least one doping agent to increase the refractive index of the base material,

2) erbium,

3) aluminum, and

4) fluorine, wherein the erbium is combined with at least some of the fluorine so that the erbium is surrounded by the fluorine; and

B) a cladding formed around the core.

2. An improved optical waveguide as defined in claim 1, further wherein the erbium and at least some of the fluorine are combined in the form of erbium trifluoride (ErF₃).

3. An improved optical waveguide as defined in claim 2, further wherein the aluminum and at least some of the fluorine are combined in the form of aluminum trifluoride (AlF₃).

4. An improved optical waveguide having silicon dioxide as the base material, the improved optical waveguide comprising:

A) a core comprising;

1) at least one doping agent to increase the refractive index of the base material,

2) erbium,

3) boron, and

4) fluorine;

wherein the erbium is combined with at least some of the fluorine so that the erbium is surrounded by the fluorine; and

B) a cladding formed around the core.

5. An improved optical waveguide having silicon dioxide as the base material, the improved optical waveguide comprising:

A) a core comprising;

1) at least one doping agent to increase the refractive index of the base material,

2) erbium,

3) fluorine, wherein the erbium is combined with at least some of the fluorine to form erbium trifluoride (ErF₃) so that the erbium is surrounded by the fluorine;

4) an element capable of forming a compound that forms a complex with the erbium trifluoride; and

B) a cladding formed around the core.

6. An improved optical waveguide as defined in claim 5, wherein the element capable of forming a compound that forms a complex with the erbium trifluoride is boron.

7. A fiber-optic amplifier for amplifying an optical input signal received on a first optical waveguide (13) and for transmitting an amplified optical signal on a second optical waveguide (14), comprising:

A) a pumped light source (15);

B) an optical coupler connected to the first optical waveguide and the pumped light source for coupling the optical input signal with the output of the pumped light source; and

C) an amplifying optical waveguide (10) connected to the optical coupler and to the second optical waveguide for presenting an amplified optical signal of the optical input signal to the second optical waveguide, said amplifying optical waveguide having silicon dioxide as the base material, the said amplifying optical waveguide comprising;

1) a core comprising;

a) at least one doping agent to increase the refractive index of the base material,

b) erbium,

c) aluminum, and

d) fluorine, wherein the erbium is combined with at least some of the fluorine so that the erbium is surrounded by the fluorine; and

2) a cladding formed around the core.

8. A fiber-optic amplifier for amplifying an optical input signal received on a first optical waveguide (13) and for transmitting an amplified optical signal on a second optical waveguide (14), comprising:

A) a pumped light source (15);

B) an optical coupler connected to the first optical waveguide and the pumped light source for coupling the optical input signal with the output of the pumped light source; and

C) an amplifying optical waveguide (10) connected to the optical coupler and to the second optical waveguide for presenting an amplified optical signal of the optical input signal to the second optical waveguide, said amplifying optical waveguide having silicon dioxide as the base material comprising;

1) a core comprising;

a) at least one doping agent to increase the refractive index of the base material,

b) erbium,

c) boron, and

d) fluorine, wherein the erbium is combined with at least some of the fluorine so that the erbium is surrounded by the fluorine; and

2) a cladding formed around the core.