Method and apparatus for producing crystalline cladding and crystalline core optical fibers
AssigneesThe Penn State Research Foundation, General Opto Solutions, LLC
InventorsShizhuo Yin, Fang Luo
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Abstract
We provide methods and apparatus for preparing crystalline-clad and crystalline core optical fibers with minimal or no breakage by minimizing the influence of thermal stress during a liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) process as well as the fiber with precisely controlled number of modes propagated in the crystalline cladding and crystalline core fiber via precisely controlling the diameter of crystalline fiber core with under-saturated LPE flux. The resulting crystalline cladding and crystalline core optical fibers are also reported.
Claims9
A method for preparing a crystalline clad and crystalline core optical fiber, comprising:
- securing a crystalline fiber core having a refractive index and a first end and a second end in a holder with no or minimized thermally induced stress, wherein the first end of the crystalline fiber core is secured in the holder and wherein the second end is free to move in at least an axial direction of the fiber within the holder;
- immersing the crystalline fiber core into at least one molten liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) solution comprising at least one flux and at least one cladding until a crystalline cladding layer has formed thereon, said crystalline cladding layer having a lower refractive index than the crystalline fiber core refractive index.
A method for monitoring the growing process of the crystalline clad and crystalline core optical fiber, comprising:
- illuminating the crystalline fiber growing area with a source that emits the wavelength corresponding to at least one of the absorption peaks of the crystalline fiber material;
- and
- detecting the absorption image of the area containing the crystalline fiber.
A method for monitoring the growing process of the crystalline clad and crystalline core optical fiber, comprising:
- illuminating the crystalline fiber growing area with a source that emits the wavelength corresponding to at least one of the exciting wavelength of the crystalline fiber material;
- detecting the excited fluorescence image of the area containing the crystalline fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.