Device for overcladding preforms for optical fibers
AssigneeDraka Comteq B.V.
InventorsJacques Jolly, Virginie Herchuelz, Remi Fauche, Eric Tutin, Jean-Florent Campion
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Abstract
The present invention provides an installation for fabricating or overcladding an optical fiber preform, which installation includes an inductive torch for producing a plasma from a plasma generating gas and material feed means and is characterized in that said plasma generating gas is a mixture of a first gas chosen from diatomic gases and mixtures of at least two gases and argon in a proportion by volume from 0.5% to 10%.
Claims7
-9. (canceled)
A method for fabricating an optical fiber perform, the method comprising:
- providing an inductive torch;
- producing a plasma generating gas having a predetermined mixture and supplying said plasma generating gas to the inductive torch, said predetermined mixture including a first diatomic gas and a combination of at least two gases and argon in a proportion by volume from 0.5% to 10%;
- and
- feeding overcladding material to the inductive torch,
- wherein the plasma generating gas produces a plasma to overclad the perform with the overcladding material
A method according to claim 1, wherein said inductive torch has a diameter from 60 mm to 200 mm.
A method according to claim 2, wherein said inductive torch has a diameter from 60 mm to 120 mm.
A method according to claim 1, wherein the power of said inductive torch is from 20 kW to 200 kW.
A method according to claim 1, wherein the feeding overcladding material to the inductive torch includes injecting grains of silica into the plasma, which is generated by the inductive torch.
A method according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber perform includes a primary perform that is obtained from an MCVD or FCVD process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.