Athermal optical waveguide grating device

An optical waveguide device comprising of an optical waveguide grating member held under a tension said optical waveguide grating member secured to a supporting member wherein said supporting member reduces said tension in relationship to a temperature increase of said optical waveguide grating member and said supporting member, said optical waveguide grating member secured to said supporting member with a securing glass member having a linear coefficient of thermal expansion ranging from about 1×10−7/° C. to 10×10−7/° C. (0° C. to 300° C.), wherein said supporting member comprises a first insert member and a second insert member, and a central negative thermal expansion member which defines a first insert receiving void and a second insert receiving void, wherein said first insert member is received in and contained within said first insert receiving void and said second insert member is received in and contained within said second insert receiving void.

An optical waveguide device as claimed in claim wherein said first and second insert members are substantially contained within said central negative thermal expansion member and said first insert receiving void includes an aperture for receiving said securing glass and said second insert receiving void includes an aperture for receiving said securing glass so that said optical waveguide grating member is secured to said first and second insert member with said securing glass and said securing glass does not contact said central negative thermal expansion member.

An athermalized optical waveguide device comprising an optical waveguide grating member and a negative expansion support member, said optical waveguide grating member secured to said support member with a copper alumino silicate glass.

An optical waveguide device comprising a unitary negative thermal expansion longitudinal body substrate having a first end and a second distal end, said substrate defining a first solid insert receiving void proximate said first end and a second solid insert receiving void proximate said second end, a first solid insert member, said first solid insert member received within said first solid insert receiving void, a second solid insert member, said second solid insert member received within said second solid insert receiving void, a longitudinal optical waveguide grating member held under a tension, said optical waveguide grating member secured to said first solid insert member and said second solid insert member, wherein said negative thermal expansion substrate reduces said tension in relationship to a temperature increase of said optical waveguide device, wherein said first solid insert member is comprised of at least one of a solid sphere and a solid keystone.

An optical waveguide device as claimed in 26, wherein said first end comprises a first end surface and said second end comprises a second end surface, said first end surface defining said first solid insert receiving void, said first solid insert receiving void comprising a substantially cylindrical void having an inside diameter D, said first solid insert member comprising a solid cylinder having an outside diameter substantially equal to D such that said first solid cylinder insert member is received within said substantially cylindrical solid insert receiving void.

An optical waveguide device as claimed in 26, said first top surface defining said first solid insert receiving void, wherein said first solid insert receiving void comprises a first solid insert receiving channel inboard of said first end and substantially perpendicular to said first longitudinal channel, and said first top surface defines said second solid insert receiving void, wherein said second solid insert receiving void comprises a second solid insert receiving channel inboard of said second end and substantially perpendicular to said first longitudinal channel.

An optical waveguide device as claimed in 31, wherein said first solid insert receiving channel has a trapezoidal cross section.

An optical waveguide device as claimed in 31, said first solid insert member further comprising a groove, wherein said optical waveguide grating member secured to said first solid insert member is received in said groove.

A method of making an optical waveguide device, said method comprising providing an optical waveguide grating member;

• providing a negative thermal expansion supporting member;
• tensioning said optical waveguide grating member;
• securing said optical waveguide grating member to said negative thermal expansive supporting member with a copper alumino silicate glass.

An optical waveguide device comprising an optical waveguide grating member held under a tension, said optical waveguide grating member bonded with a copper alumino silicate glass to a negative thermal expansion substrate.