Optical resonators with reduced OH-content

• US 7,248,763 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oewaves Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Oewaves Incorporated
• Inventors: Ilchenko, Vladimir, Kossakovski, Dmitri A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Connelly-Cushwa; Michelle
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peace; Rhonda S.
• Application Number:
  US10/885,892
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 385/15, 385/32
• US Class Current: 385/32
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 32/00 Thermal after-treatment of glass products not provided for in groups C03B19/00 , C03B25/00 - C03B31/00 or C03B37/00, e.g. crystallisation, eliminating gas inclusions or other impurities; Hot-pressing vitrified, non-porous, shaped glass products
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 19/00 Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by mechanical means sand-blasting, grinding, or polishing glass B24
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2201/22 containing deuterium
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2201/23 containing hydroxyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 3/06 with more than 90% silica by weight, e.g. quartz C03C3/045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09G 1/04 Aqueous dispersions C09G1/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence

Abstract

This application describes optical resonators substantially free of hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals and related fabrication techniques.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

processing an optical material by using deuterium to replace hydrogen to form an optical resonator to minimize a compound that comprises OH in the optical resonator; and

polishing the optical material with a D₂O based slurry.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising exposing the optical material to a flame produced from a mixture of a deuterium gas and oxygen.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising exposing the optical resonator to a hot deuterium gas or a hot D₂O vapor to reduce water and hydroxyl radicals in the optical material.

4. A method for fabricating an optical resonator, comprising:

mixing a D₂ gas and an oxygen gas to produce a flame to heat a glass material;

shaping the heated glass material to form an optical resonator; and

polishing the optical resonator with a D₂O-based polishing slurry.

5. A method as in claim 4, further comprising exposing the optical resonator to a heated D₂ gas or D₂O vapor to minimize a compound that comprises OH in the optical resonator.