Environmentally stable athermalizes optical fiber grating device and method of making a stabilized device
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsGeorge H. Beall, Joel P. Carberry, Kenneth Chyung, Joseph E. Pierson, Kamjula P. Reddy, James E. Webb
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Abstract
The invention includes environmentally stable athermalized optical fiber gratings and methods of making such stabilized optical waveguide fiber grating. Stable humidity-resistant athermalized fiber Bragg gratings are provided by stabilizing a negative thermal expansion substrate and utilizing a durable frit to attach the fiber Bragg grating to the substrate.
Claims58
An environmentally stable athermalized optical fiber grating waveguide device for use in an optical waveguide deployment environment, said device comprising:
- an optical fiber grating which reflects light centered about a wavelength λ, a stabilized treated environmentally stable negative thermal expansion βeta-eucryptite glass glass ceramic substrate, said substrate being a bath humidified dried substrate, said fiber grating being attached under tension to said substrate with an environmentally durable frit fusion seal wherein the substrate compensates for thermally induced wavelength shifts in said fiber grating and a said wavelength λ varies less that +/−0.04 nm when exposed to a humid environment.
A method of making an environmentally stable athermalized fiber grating waveguide device for use in an optical waveguide deployment environment, said method comprising:
- providing an optical fiber grating which operates on light centered about a wavelength λ, environmentally stabilizing through H2O treatment a negative thermal expansion βeta-eucryptite glass-ceramic substrate, attaching said optical fiber grating under tension to said environmentally stabilized glass-ceramic substrate with an environmentally durable lead zinc borate glass frit fusion seal wherein said substrate compensates for thermally induced wavelength shifts in said fiber grating and said wavelength λ varies less than +/−0.020 nm when exposed to a humid environment.
A method as claimed in 34, wherein exposing said submerged substrate to a humid treatment atmosphere comprises exposing said substrate to a humid atmosphere having a relative humidity of at least 80%.
A method as claimed in 33, further comprising enclosing said attached fiber grating and said substrate and said glass frit fusion seal in a nonhermetic packaging container.
A method as claimed in 33, further comprising hermetically sealing said attached fiber grating and said substrate and said glass frit fusion seal within a hermetic packaging container.
A method of making an environmentally stable athermalized fiber grating waveguide device for use in an optical waveguide deployment environment, said method comprising:
- providing an optical fiber Bragg grating which reflects light centered about a wavelength λ, environmentally stabilizing a negative thermal expansion microcracked βeta-eucryptite glass-ceramic substrate by H2O treatment, attaching said optical fiber grating under tension to said environmentally stabilized glass-ceramic substrate wherein said substrate compensates for thermally induced wavelength shifts in said fiber grating and said wavelength λ varies less than +/−0.010 nm when exposed to a humid environment which has a relative humidity of at least 80%.
A method as claimed in 44, wherein exposing said submerged substrate to a humid treatment atmosphere comprises exposing said substrate to a humid atmosphere having a relative humidity of at least 80% and a temperature of at least 80° C.
A method as claimed in 44, further comprising enclosing said attached fiber grating and said substrate in a nonhermetic packaging container.
A method as claimed in 44, further comprising hermetically sealing said attached fiber grating and said substrate within a hermetic packaging container.
A method as claimed in 51, further comprising enclosing said attached fiber grating and said substrate and said glass frit fusion seal in a nonhermetic packaging container.
A method as claimed in 57, further comprising hermetically sealing said attached fiber grating and said substrate and said glass frit fusion seal within a hermetic packaging container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.