Optical waveguide with protective coating
AssigneeCorning Glass Works
InventorRobert D. Maurer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical waveguide includes a core of high purity fused silica, a cladding of high purity fused silica and a protective coating of metallic glass. The protective coating is applied as a liquid which contracts more than the glass after it solidifies to place the surface of the glass cladding under compression. Because the waveguide will break only under tension, the force of compression must be overcome before the waveguide can be fractured thereby strengthening the waveguide considerably. The metallic glass coating provides further advantages of abrasion protection and the prevention of fatigue.
Claims11
An optical waveguide comprising:
- a transparent glass rod having a preselected index of refraction in the core thereof and a different index of refraction at the periphery thereof, and
- a coating of metallic glass around the periphery of said rod, said metallic glass being selected from the group including:
- Fe.sub.803 P.sub.163 C.sub.39 B;
- Fe.sub.40 Ni.sub.40 P.sub.14 B.sub.6 ;
- Pd.sub.77 Au.sub.5 Si.sub.18 ;
- Pd.sub.77 Ag.sub.5 Si.sub.18 ;
- and Pd.sub.77 Cu.sub.5 Si.sub.18.
An optical waveguide comprising:
- a transparent glass rod having a preselected index of refraction in the core thereof and a different index of refraction at the periphery thereof, and
- a coating of metallic glass having a composition Ni.sub.36 Fe.sub.32 Cr.sub.14 P.sub.12 B.sub.6 around the periphery of said rod.
An optical waveguide comprising:
- a transparent glass rod having a preselected index of refraction in the core thereof and a different index of refraction at the periphery thereof, and
- a coating of metallic glass around the periphery of said rod, said metallic glass being selected from the group consisting of at least one noble metal or transition metal and at least one metalloid.
The method of producing an optical fiber having improved strength comprising the steps of:
- forming a transparent glass rod having a preselected index of refraction in the core thereof and a different index of refraction at the periphery thereof, and
- coating said rod with metallic glass, said metallic glass being selected from the group consisting of at least one noble metal or transition metal and at least one metalloid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.