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US 2002/0154874 A1Published application
Radiation shielded optical waveguide and method of making the same
OwnerRobert G. Ahrens, David John DiGiovanni +1inventors
InventorsRobert G. Ahrens, David John DiGiovanni, Robert Scott Windeler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical waveguide comprising a silica structure and a number of radiation shielding dopant atoms. At least some of the radiation shielding dopant atoms are chemically bonded with at least some of the constituents of silica structure. As such, the radiation shielding dopants are fixed within the silica structure to shield the optical waveguide from at least one of alpha-, beta-, gamma-, x-, and neutron-radiation.
Claims28
A method comprising:
- exposing an optical waveguide implanted with radiation shielding dopant atoms to at least one of electromagnetic radiation and a thermal field, wherein at least some of the radiation shielding dopant atoms are passivated within the optical waveguide.
A method of fixing radiation shielding dopants in silica comprising:
- exposing the silica implanted with the radiation shielding dopant atoms to at least one of electromagnetic radiation and a thermal field, wherein at least some of the radiation shielding dopant atoms are passivated within the silica.
An optical waveguide comprising:
- radiation shielding dopant atoms;
- and
- means for passivating the radiation shielding dopant atoms within a silica structure such that the optical waveguide is shielded from ionizing radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.