Method of producing optical wave guide fibers

In a method for the production of an optical wave guide from a phase separable base glass where the base glass is heat treated to cause phase separation into at least two immiscible liquids comprising an insoluble phase and a soluble phase, and the soluble phase is leached out, the improvement which comprises heating said insoluble phase to substantially completely remove chemically combined water therefrom, thermally consolidating the glass at a higher temperature to seal said pores, and applying a cladding layer to produce said wave guide.

In a method for the production of an optical wave guide from a phase separable base glass including heat treating said base glass to cause phase separation into at least two immiscible liquids comprising an insoluble phase and a soluble phase, and leaching out the soluble phase, the improvement which comprises oxidizing transition metal impurities in the base glass to their highest oxidation states prior to phase separation, thermally consolidating the glass to seal the pores in said glass, and applying a cladding layer to produce said wave guide.

In a method for the production of an optical wave guide from a phase separable base glass including heat treating said base glass to cause phase separation into at least two immiscible liquids comprising an insoluble phase and a soluble phase, and leaching out the soluble phase, the improvement which comprises treating a porous glass having interconnected pores resulting from the leaching step to change the oxidation state of at least one transition metal impurity present therein, thermally consolidating the glass to seal the pores in said glass, and applying a cladding layer to produce said wave guide.

In a method for the production of an optical wave guide from a phase separable base glass including heat treating said base glass to cause phase separation into at least two immiscible liquids comprising an insoluble phase and a soluble phase, and leaching out the soluble, the improvement which comprises removing from within the pores of the insoluble phase colloidal silica or colloidal germania produced as a decomposition product of the removed soluble phase during the leaching step, thermally consolidating the glass to seal the pores in said glass, and applying a cladding layer to produce said wave guide.

In a method for producing an optical wave guide fiber wherein a preform is drawn to produce the fiber, the improvement which comprises producing a preform of a porous silicate or germinate glass having interconnected pores therethrough, radially non-uniformly depositing a dopant capable of varying the index of refraction of said glass within said pores to vary the index of refraction, and thermally consolidating the glass to seal the pores, whereby when a fiber is drawn from said preform, the fiber has an index of refraction which varies radially.

In a method for the production of an optical wave guide comprising a cladding layer and a glass core with an index of refraction larger than the index of refraction of said cladding layer, wherein the improvement comprises forming said cladding layer of a porous silicate glass having interconnected pores therethrough, depositing a dopant within said pores to control the index of refraction of said cladding layer, and thermally consolidating the glass to seal the pores.

In a method for the production of an optical wave guide comprising a cladding layer and a glass core with an index of refraction larger than the index of refraction of said cladding layer, wherein the improvement comprises forming said core of a porous silicate glass having interconnected pores therethrough, depositing a dopant within said pores to control the index of refraction of said core and thermally consolidating said core to close the pores.

In a method of producing an optical wave guide, the improvement which comprises producing the wave guide of a porous silicate or germinate glass having interconnected pores therethrough, non-uniformly depositing a dopant within said pores, and thermally consolidating said pores in such a fashion that the wave guide has a non-uniform index of refraction which varies along a dimension of the wave guide.

In a method for the production of an optical wave guide comprising a cladding layer and a glass core with an index of refraction larger than the index of refraction of said cladding layer, wherein the improvement comprises forming said cladding layer of a porous silicate glass having interconnected pores therethrough, removing colloidal silica from within said pores to lower the index of refraction of said cladding layer, and then thermally consolidating said cladding layer to seal the pores.