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US 10,983,269 B1Granted
Optical fibers with two metal coatings surrounding the cladding
AssigneeVerrillon, Inc.
InventorsJohn D'Urso, William Paul Jacobsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical fiber and a method of fabrication thereof. The optical fiber includes a core; a cladding surrounding the core; a primary metal coating surrounding the cladding and including a noble metal having a melting point of at least 500 degrees Celsius; and a secondary metal coating surrounding the primary coating and having a melting point higher than the melting point of the primary metal coating, a thickness of the primary metal coating being greater than a thickness of the secondary metal coating.
Claims19
An optical fiber comprising:
- a core having a central axis, the core comprising a silica-based glass and having a refractive index;
- a cladding surrounding the core, the cladding comprising a silica-based glass and having a refractive index less than the refractive index of the core;
- a primary metal coating surrounding the cladding, the primary metal coating comprising a noble metal having a melting point of at least 500 degrees Celsius;
- and
- a secondary metal coating surrounding the primary metal coating, the secondary metal coating having a melting point higher than the melting point of the primary metal coating,
- wherein a thickness of the primary metal coating is greater than a thickness of the secondary metal coating.
3 more elements
A method for fabricating an optical fiber, the method comprising:
- placing the optical fiber comprising a core, a cladding surrounding the core, and a primary metal coating surrounding the cladding in a solution containing ions of a secondary metal, the solution contacting the primary metal coating of the optical fiber, a melting point of the secondary metal being higher than a melting point of the primary metal;
- and
- supplying an electric current from the solution containing ions of the secondary metal to the primary metal coating of the optical fiber, thereby electrodepositing the ions of the secondary metal onto the primary metal coating to form a secondary metal coating surrounding the primary metal coating,
- wherein (i) the core has a central axis, comprises a silica-based glass, and has a refractive index, (ii) the cladding comprises a silica-based glass and has a refractive index less than the refractive index of the core, (iii) the primary metal coating comprises a noble metal having a melting point of at least 500 degrees Celsius, (iv) the secondary metal coating has a melting point higher than the melting point of the primary metal coating, and (v) a thickness of the primary metal coating is greater than a thickness of the secondary metal coating.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.