Optical signal amplifier glasses
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorPascale LaBorde
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Abstract
An optical signal amplifier comprising an optical waveguide fiber integrated by thallium ion exchange in a boron-free silicate glass doped with up to 5 weight % erbium oxide, the glass having a base composition, as calculated in weight percent on an oxide basis, consisting essentially of ______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 38-67 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 1.5-4.5 Na.sub.2 O 0-20 ZnO 1.5-8 K.sub.2 O 0-25 Li.sub.2 O 0-1 Na.sub.2 O + K.sub.2 O 15-30 PbO 0-37 BaO 0-7 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 0-10 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 + PbO 5-37 ______________________________________
Claims16
An optical signal amplifier comprising an optical waveguide fiber integrated by thallium ion exchange in a boron-free silicate glass doped with up to 5 weight % erbium oxide, the glass having a base composition, as calculated in weight percent on an oxide basis, consisting essentially of
- ______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 38-67 ZnO 1.5-8 K.sub.2 O 0-25 Na.sub.2 O 0-20 PbO 0-37 Na.sub.2 O + K.sub.2 O 15-30 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 excess 0-5 BaO 0-7 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 + PbO 5-37 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 1.5-4.5. ______________________________________
A glass having ion exchange properties particularly adapted to production of optical signal amplifiers operating at a wavelength of about 1.5 microns, that is free of B.sub.2 O.sub.3, that is capable of being doped with up to 5 weight % erbium oxide, that has good spectroscopic properties and that has a base glass composition consisting essentially of, on an oxide basis as calculated in weight percent,
- ______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 38-67 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 1.5-4.5 Na.sub.2 O 0-20 ZnO 1.5-8 K.sub.2 O 0-25 Na.sub.2 O + K.sub.2 O 15-30 PbO 0-37 BaO 0-7 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 0-5 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 + PbO 5-37 ______________________________________
A method of making an optical signal amplifier which comprises the steps of forming a glass body in the form of a disk or water from a glass melt having a composition consisting essentially of, on an oxide basis in percent by weight,
- ______________________________________ SiO.sub.2 38-67 ZnO 1.5-8 K.sub.2 O 0-25 Na.sub.2 O 0-20 PbO 0-37 Na.sub.2 O + K.sub.2 O 15-30 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 excess 0-5 BaO 0-7 P.sub.2 O.sub.5 + PbO 5-37 Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 1.5-4.5 ______________________________________
- the glass having a Tg below 500.degree. C., selectively masking the surface of the glass body against ion exchange, except for a selectively exposed area, exposing the selectively masked body to a molten thallium salt bath at a temperature in the range of 350.degree.-450.degree. C. for a time sufficient to integrate an optical fiber into the glass body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.