Temperature stabilization of optical waveguides
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of temperature stabilizing an optical waveguide (11, 12) having a positive thermal optical path length expansion, the method comprising:
- affixing the optical waveguide to at least two points of a material having a negative thermal expansion; and
comprising the material of a composite of a resin matrix having embedded therein fibers having a negative thermal expansion coefficient and optionally fibers having a positive thermal expansion coefficient, whereby to provide the negative thermal expansion.
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Abstract
A method of temperature stabilizing an optical waveguide (11, 12) having a positive thermal optical path length expansion affixes the optical waveguide to at least two points of a material having a negative thermal expansion and comprises the material of a composite of a resin matrix having embedded therein fibers having a negative thermal expansion coefficient and optionally fibers having a positive thermal expansion coefficient, whereby to provide the negative thermal expansion.
40 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of temperature stabilizing an optical waveguide (11, 12) having a positive thermal optical path length expansion, the method comprising:
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affixing the optical waveguide to at least two points of a material having a negative thermal expansion; and
comprising the material of a composite of a resin matrix having embedded therein fibers having a negative thermal expansion coefficient and optionally fibers having a positive thermal expansion coefficient, whereby to provide the negative thermal expansion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. In an optical waveguide having a positive thermal expansion along an optical path length and, for temperature stabilization, a material having a negative thermal expansion affixed to the optical waveguide at least at two points spaced along the optical path length, the improvements wherein:
the material comprises a resin matrix having embedded therein fibers having a negative thermal expansion coefficient.
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29. A method of temperature stabilizing an optical waveguide (11, 12), said optical waveguide having a positive thermal optical path length expansion, the method comprising:
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affixing the optical waveguide to at least two points (14, 15) of a material (13) having a negative thermal expansion; and
comprising said negative thermal expansion material as a composite material of a resin matrix and fibers having a negative thermal expansion coefficient embedded therein and optionally also having embedded therein fibers having a positive thermal expansion coefficient.
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Specification