Photoinduced grating in oxynitride glass
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsNicholas Francis Borrelli, Thomas Allen Cook, Evelyn McGee DeLiso, Robert Adam Modavis
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Abstract
A length of oxynitride optical fiber is exposed to actinic radiation that is modulated by an interference technique to form a pattern of refractive index variations that functions as a reflective grating.
Claims13
An optical device comprising:
- a nitrogen doped silica glass region having a pattern of photo-altered refractive index variations, wherein said glass region consists essentially of hydrogen loaded nitrogen-doped silica, where the pattern of refractive index variations takes the form of alternate regions of higher and lower refractive index, the period of which is such that said pattern constitutes a reflection grating, and where the glass region is the core region of an optical waveguide, the core region being at least partially surrounded by a cladding, the optical waveguide comprising a portion wherein said core region has a refractive index that varies in a longitudinal direction, the index varying such that the portion of the waveguide reflects radiation of a predetermined wavelength propagating longitudinally in the waveguide.
An optical device comprising a region of hydrogen loaded silicon oxynitride glass exhibiting a photorefractive effect resulting from alteration of the refractive index of said glass region by exposure of said glass to at least one beam of actinic radiation for sufficient time to increase the refractive index of that portion of said glass region upon which said beam impinges, the refractive index having variations in the form of alternate regions of higher and lower refractive index, the period of which is such that said pattern constitutes a reflection grating, and where the glass region is the core region of an optical waveguide, the core region being at least partially surrounded by a cladding, the optical waveguide comprising a portion wherein said core region has a refractive index that varies in a longitudinal direction, the index varying such that the portion of the waveguide reflects radiation of a predetermined wavelength propagating longitudinally in the waveguide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.