Back to results
US 6,802,190 B2Granted
Method of fabricating a GRIN fiber
AssigneeLucent Technologies Inc.
InventorsWilliam Alfred Reed, Mark J Schnitzer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for fabricating a GRIN fiber includes forming a tube of silica-glass having a tubular core and a concentric tubular cladding adjacent and external to the tubular core. The core has a dopant density with a radially graded profile. The method includes partially collapsing the tube by applying heat thereto. The partially collapsed tube has a central channel. The method includes passing a glass etchant through the central canal to remove an internal layer of silica glass, and then, collapsing the etched tube to a rod-like preform.
Claims9
A method for fabricating a GRIN fiber, comprising:
- forming a tube of silica-glass having a tubular core and a concentric tubular cladding adjacent and external to the tubular core, the core having a dopant density with a radially graded profile;
- partially collapsing the tube by applying heat thereto, the partially collapsed tube having a central channel;
- passing a glass etchant through the central canal to remove an internal layer of silica glass;
- and
- then, collapsing the etched tube to a rod-like perform;
- and
- drawing a GRIN fiber from the perform;
- and
- wherein the drawing produces a GRIN fiber whose core has a refractive index with a profile having a radial second derivative whose average magnitude is less than about 1.7×10−6 microns−2 times the value of the refractive index on the axis of the GRIN fiber lens.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.