Codopant polymers for efficient optical amplification

• US 6,538,805 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Photon-X, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Photon-X, Inc.
• Inventors: Garito, Anthony F., Panackal, Anna, Norwood, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/722,821
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 359/341.5, 372/6, 501/45, 252/301.4 P
• US Class Current: 359/341.5
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 13/04 Fibre optics, e.g. core and clad fibre compositions light guides G02B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 79/04 Phosphorus linked to oxygen or to oxygen and carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 85/02 containing phosphorus
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02033 Core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material G02B1/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/06716 Fibre compositions per se C03C13/04or doping with active elements lasing materials in general H01S3/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/16 Solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1618 ytterbium
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1698 rare earth
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/178 plastic

Abstract

In accordance with the invention, the present invention provides for a polymer comprised of a general composition. The polymer has a first rare earth element, a second rare earth element, one of the elements of Group VI_A, one of the elements of Group V_A, a first fully halogenated organic group, a second fully halogenated organic group. A method of manufacturing the polymer is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A polymer comprised of a general composition {XY[DDZRR′

]₃}_n, where;

X is a first rare earth element;

Y is a second rare earth element;

D is one of the elements of Group VI_A;

Z is one of the elements of Group V_A;

R is a first fully halogenated organic group;

R′

is a second fully halogenated organic group; and

n is an integer greater than 1.

2. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein X is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium.

3. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium.

4. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein X and Y are different rare earth elements.

5. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein R and R′

are fluoroalkyl chains of a general composition C_xF_2x+1 where x≧

1.

6. The polymer according to claim 5, wherein x=6.

7. The polymer according to claim 5, wherein x=8.

8. The polymer according to claim 5, wherein R and R′

are perfluoroalkyls.

9. The polymer according to claim 5, wherein R R′

.

10. The polymer according to claim 5, wherein R equals R′

.

11. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is soluble in at least one of a plurality organic solvents.

12. The polymer according to claim 7, wherein the at least one of the plurality of organic solvents comprises dimethyl acetamide.

13. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second fully halogenated organic groups consists of at least one of the group of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, and mixtures thereof.

14. The polymer according to claim 9, wherein each of the first and second fully halogenated organic groups consists of fluorine.

15. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of X to Y by weight is approximately one to one.

16. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of X to Y by weight is approximately three to one.

17. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein a ratio of X to Y by weight is between approximately 1 to 1 and 1 to 50.

18. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of X to Y by weight is approximately 1 to 10.

19. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein D is one of oxygen and sulfur.

20. The polymer according to claim 1, wherein Z is one of nitrogen and phosphorous.

27. An optical amplifying fiber assembly comprising:

a fiber formed from a first polymer as claimed in claim 1, the fiber having a first diameter and a first refractive index; and

a cladding disposed about an outer perimeter of the fiber, the cladding having a diameter and a second refractive index less than the first refractive index.

28. The optical amplifying fiber assembly according to claim 27, wherein the cladding comprises a second polymer.

29. The optical amplifying fiber assembly according to claim 28, wherein the second polymer has a general composition {X′

Y′

[DDZRR′

]₃}_n, where;

X′

is a third rare earth element different from X;

Y′

is a fourth rare earth element different from X;

D is one of the elements of Group VI_A;

Z is one of the elements of Group V_A;

R is a first fully halogenated organic group;

R′

is a second fully halogenated organic group; and

n is an integer greater than 1.

30. The optical amplifying fiber assembly according to claim 28, wherein the second diameter is at least two times larger than the first diameter.

31. The optical amplifying fiber assembly according to claim 27, further comprising a second polymer blended with the first polymer.

32. An optical waveguide comprising:

a substrate;

a first cladding layer disposed on the substrate, the first cladding layer having a first refractive index;

a first polymer as claimed in claim 1 being disposed on the first cladding layer, the first polymer having a second refractive index;

a plurality of channel waveguides formed in the first polymer; and

a second cladding layer disposed over the first polymer, the second cladding layer having a third refractive index,

wherein the first and third refractive indices being less than the second refractive index.

33. The optical waveguide according to claim 32, wherein the first refractive index is approximately equal to the third refractive index.

34. The optical waveguide according to claim 32, further comprising a second polymer blended with the first polymer.

35. The optical waveguide according to claim 32, wherein the first polymer is disposed on the first cladding layer by spin coating the first polymer onto the first cladding layer.

21. A method of manufacturing a polymer comprising:

providing a sodium salt of a fully halogenated substituted acid in liquid acetone, the sodium salt having a general composition 3(n+m)RR′

ZDDNa, wherein;

n and m are positive integers;

D is one of the elements of Group VI_A;

Z is one of the elements of Group V_A;

R is a first fully halogenated organic group; and

R′

is a second fully halogenated organic group;

providing a first rare earth chloride XCI₃ in dry acetone, wherein X is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium;

providing a second rare earth chloride YCI₃ in dry acetone, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium;

combining the sodium salt in the liquid acetone, the first rare earth chloride in the dry acetone, and the second rare earth chloride in the dry acetone together to form a mixture;

stirring the mixture under nitrogen for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature;

adding distilled water to the mixture;

boiling the aqueous solution;

filtering the aqueous solution;

washing the aqueous solution with boiling water, forming a washed product; and

drying the washed product.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the stirring is performed for between 70 and 75 hours.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the stirring is performed at between 20°

C. and 25°

C.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the drying is performed in a vacuum oven.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the drying yields at least 60% of polymer.

26. A polymer comprised of a general composition {XY[DDZRR′

]_3}n, where;

X is a first rare earth element;

Y is a second rare earth element;

D is one of the elements of Group VI_A;

Z is one of the elements of Group V_A;

R is a first fully halogenated organic group;

R′

is a second fully halogenated organic group; and

n is an integer greater than 1;

the polymer being formed by;

providing a sodium salt of a fully halogenated substituted acid in liquid acetone, the sodium salt having a general composition 3(n+m)RR′

ZDDNa, wherein;

n and m are positive integers;

D is one of the elements of Group VI_A;

Z is one of the elements of Group V_A;

R is a first fully halogenated organic group; and

R′

is a second fully halogenated organic group;

providing a first rare earth chloride XCI₃ in dry acetone, wherein X is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium;

providing a second rare earth chloride YCI₃ in dry acetone, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium;

combining the sodium salt in the liquid acetone, the first rare earth chloride in the dry acetone, and the second rare earth chloride in the dry acetone together to form a mixture;

stirring the mixture under nitrogen for a predetermined period of time at a predetermined temperature;

adding distilled water to the mixture;

boiling the aqueous solution;

filtering the aqueous solution;

washing the aqueous solution with boiling water, forming a washed product; and

drying the washed product.