# US 10,371,910 B2 · Optical communications cables utilizing topological insulators as optical fiber cores

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- Number: US 10,371,910 B2
- Document ID: US10371910B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/852,621
- Filed: 2017-12-22
- Published: 2019-06-27
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-22
- Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Inventors: Timothy Innes; David Spivey, Jr.; Kevin Igoe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371910B2

## CPC

- G02B 6/4415: {Cables for special applications (G02B6/4429, G02B6/4439, G02B6/4479 take precedence)}
- G02B 6/04: formed by bundles of fibres (G02B6/24 takes precedence)
- G02B 6/107: {Subwavelength-diameter waveguides, e.g. nanowires}
- G02B 6/1226: {involving surface plasmon interaction}
- G02B 6/4436: {Heat resistant}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

An optical core made from at least on topological insulator microfiber. A cryogenic cooling layer surrounds the optical core. An insulative layer surrounds the cryogenic cooling layer. In one embodiment, the insulative layer comprises a layer of photonic crystal material.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A data transmission cable, comprising:
an optical core made from at least one topological insulator microfiber;
a cryogenic cooling layer surrounding the optical core; and
an insulative layer comprising a plurality of photonic crystal beads surrounding the cryogenic cooling layer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The data transmission cable of claim 1, wherein at least one of the photonic crystal beads comprises a photonic crystal sphere.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The data transmission cable of claim 2, wherein at least one photonic crystal sphere comprises a sidewall surrounding a space defining a vacuum environment.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2 wherein the photonic at least one crystal sphere has a 25 micron inner diameter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The data transmission cable of claim 4, wherein the sidewall of the at least one photonic crystal sphere has a thickness of 5 microns.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The data transmission cable of claim 1, wherein the cryogenic cooling layer comprises at least one flexible tube defining a channel carrying a coolant.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The data transmission cable of claim 6, wherein the coolant comprises liquid nitrogen.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The data transmission cable of claim 1, wherein the optical core comprises at least one bundle of topological insulator microfibers.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The data transmission cable of claim 8, wherein the at least one bundle comprise a plurality of topological insulator microfiber elements.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The data transmission cable of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of topological insulator microfiber elements comprises one of antimony, bismuth selenide, and bismuth telluride.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The data transmission cable of claim 9, wherein the at least one bundle further comprises a core of insulating flexible cold resistant plastic within which the topological insulator microfibers are embedded.

### Claim 12

A long-range data transmission cable, comprising:
an optical core made from topological insulator microfiber; and
at least one heat exchange layer surrounding the optical core to provide a cryogenic environment for the optical core, wherein the at least one heat exchange layer comprises an insulation layer including at least one photonic crystal bead.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The long-range data transmission cable of claim 12, wherein the at least one heat exchange layer comprises a coolant layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The long-range data transmission cable of claim 13, wherein the coolant layer comprises at least one tube containing a coolant that is in thermodynamic communication with the optical core.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The long-range data transmission cable of claim 14, wherein the coolant comprises liquid nitrogen.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The long-range data transmission cable of claim 12, wherein the insulation layer comprises a photonic crystal layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The long-range data transmission cable of claim 16, wherein the photonic crystal layer comprises a plurality of photonic crystal spheres.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The data transmission cable of claim 1, wherein at least one of the photonic crystal beads comprises a photonic crystal sphere with a Fluoropolyme coating.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The data transmission cable of claim 1, wherein the photonic crystal beads comprise spherical and non-spherical shapes.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The long range data transmission cable of claim 12, wherein the insulation layer contains a plurality of spherical photonic crystal beads and a plurality of non-spherical photonic crystal beads.