Method of Cladding Ceramic Optical Fibers
AssigneeGovernment of the United States as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsHyunjun Kim, Randall Hay, Kent Averett, Randall Corns, Benjamin Gray, Brian Sirn
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Abstract
A method of forming a crystalline core/crystalline clad (C4) optical fiber. The method comprises coextruding a cladding mixture of a plasticizer and a binder with a yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) core. The coextrusion dynamically clads a polycrystalline cladding onto the YAG core to yield a green C4 optical fiber. The C4 optical fiber is then densified, preferably in two steps sintering and hot isostatic pressing. The resulting optical C4 fiber has greater power capacity than a glass fiber labor host.
Claims20
A method of forming a crystalline core/crystalline clad (C4) optical fiber, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a coextrusion mixture comprising a binder, yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) powder, a binder and optionally a plasticizer, in a pressurized vessel, the pressurized vessel having a coextrusion mixture inlet for receiving the coextrusion mixture, a core inlet for receiving a crystalline core having an outer surface and an extrusion nozzle for extruding a green C4 fiber therethrough;
- drawing the YAG core into the core inlet, through the pressurized vessel and outwardly through the extrusion nozzle to dynamically clad the coextrusion mixture within the vessel onto the outer surface of the core to yield a green C4 fiber;
- and
- densifying the green C4 fiber to yield an optically transparent C4 fiber.
A method of forming a crystalline core/crystalline clad (C4) optical fiber, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a coextrusion mixture comprising a plasticizer and a binder in a pressurized vessel, the pressurized vessel having a coextrusion mixture inlet for receiving the coextrusion mixture, a core inlet for receiving an elongate yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) core having an outer surface and an extrusion nozzle for extruding a green C4 fiber therethrough;
- drawing the YAG core into the core inlet, through the pressurized vessel and outwardly through the extrusion nozzle to dynamically clad the coextrusion mixture within the vessel onto the outer surface of the core to yield a green C4 fiber;
- thermally drying the green C4 fiber;
- and
- densifying the green C4 fiber to yield an optically transparent C4 fiber.
A method of forming a crystalline core/crystalline clad (C4) optical fiber, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a coextrusion mixture comprising a plasticizer and a binder in a pressurized vessel, the pressurized vessel having a coextrusion mixture inlet for receiving the coextrusion mixture, a core inlet for receiving an elongate yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) core having an outer surface and an extrusion nozzle for extruding a green C4 fiber therethrough;
- drawing the YAG core into the core inlet, through the pressurized vessel and outwardly through the extrusion nozzle to dynamically clad the coextrusion mixture within the vessel onto the outer surface of the core to yield a green C4 fiber;
- thermally drying the green C4 fiber;
- and
- thermally densifying the green C4 fiber to yield an optically transparent C4 optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.