Cylindrical processing of optical media

A method for cylindrical processing of an optical medium, comprising the steps of:

• a. rotating an optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to a processing tool;
• and
• b. spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of a surface of an optical medium, in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool, thereby producing spatially selective alterations in the optical medium,
• wherein the optical medium comprises a silica-based optical fiber including a core and a cladding layer, and the alteration includes a spatially selective surface mask.

A method for cylindrical processing of an optical medium, comprising the steps of:

• a. rotating an optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to a processing tool;
• and
• b. spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of a surface of an optical medium, in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool, thereby producing spatially selective alterations in the optical medium,
• wherein the optical medium comprises a silica-based optical fiber including a core and a cladding layer, and the optical medium includes a hermetic carbon outer coating and the alteration includes the step of spatially selectively removing the hermetic carbon coating.

A method for producing a spatially selective alteration on a substantially cylindrical optical medium, the method comprising the steps of:

• rotating the optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to a processing tool;
• and
• spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of the surface of the optical medium, in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool thereby spatially selectively altering the optical medium to produce the spatially selective alteration thereon,
• wherein the optical medium comprises an optical fiber, and the optical fiber includes a hermetic carbon outer coating layer.

A method for producing a spatially selective alteration on a substantially cylindrical optical medium, the method comprising the steps of:

• rotating the optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to a processing tool;
• and
• spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of the surface of the optical medium, in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool thereby spatially selectively altering the optical medium to produce the spatially selective alteration thereon,
• wherein the optical medium comprises an optical fiber, and the optical fiber comprises a hollow-core optical fiber.

A method for producing a spatially selective alteration on a substantially cylindrical optical medium, the method comprising the steps of:

• rotating the optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to a processing tool;
• and
• spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of the surface of the optical medium, in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool thereby spatially selectively altering the optical medium to produce the spatially selective alteration thereon,
• wherein the optical medium comprises an optical fiber, and the optical fiber comprises a hollow-core optical fiber and the hollow core contains an optically scattering material or an optically absorbing material.

A method for producing a spatially selective alteration on a substantially cylindrical optical medium, the method comprising the steps of:

• rotating the optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to a processing tool;
• and
• spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of the surface of the optical medium, in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool thereby spatially selectively altering the optical medium to produce the spatially selective alteration thereon,
• wherein the optical medium comprises an optical fiber, and the spatially selective alteration includes at least one ring between first and second segments of the optical fiber.

A method for producing a spatially selective alteration on a substantially cylindrical optical medium, the method comprising the steps of:

• rotating the optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to a processing tool;
• and
• spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of the surface of the optical medium, in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool thereby spatially selectively altering the optical medium to produce the spatially selective alteration thereon,
• wherein:
• the optical medium comprises an optical fiber;
• the spatially selective alteration includes spatially selectively removal of optical material from the optical medium;
• the processing-tool-applying step includes surface-masked wet etching;
• the optical medium is a silica-based optical fiber including a hermetic carbon outer fiber coating;
• a surface mask for the optical fiber includes at least a portion of the hermetic carbon outer fiber coating;
• and
• surface-masked wet etching is performed with an aqueous hydrofluoric-acid-based etchant.

A method for producing a spatially selective alteration on a substantially cylindrical optical medium, the method comprising the steps of:

• rotating the optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to a processing tool;
• and
• spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of the surface of the optical medium, in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool thereby spatially selectively altering the optical medium to produce the spatially selective alteration thereon,
• wherein:
• the optical medium comprises an optical fiber;
• the spatially selective alteration includes spatially selective alteration of a refractive index of the optical medium;
• the refractive index is increased by spatially selective optical-irradiation-induced densification of the optical medium;
• and
• the optical fiber is a germano-silica optical fiber.

A method for producing a spatially selective alteration on a substantially cylindrical optical medium, the method comprising the steps of:

• rotating the optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to a processing tool;
• and
• spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of the surface of the optical medium, in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool thereby spatially selectively altering the
• optical medium to produce the spatially selective alteration thereon;
• wherein:
• the optical medium comprises an optical fiber;
• the processing-tool-applying step includes the steps of i) controlling relative longitudinal motion of the optical medium and the processing tool, and ii) controlling relative radial motion of the optical medium and the processing tool;
• and
• application of the processing tool to the optical fiber is synchronous with relative rotation of the optical fiber and the processing tool thereby producing a partial ring.

An apparatus for producing a spatially selective alteration on a substantially cylindrical optical medium, the apparatus comprising:

• a processing tool;
• an optical medium rotator, the rotator being adapted for rotating the optical medium about a longitudinal relative rotation axis thereof relative to the processing tool;
• and
• a processing tool positioner, the positioner being adapted for spatially selectively applying the processing tool to a portion of the surface of the optical medium in operative cooperation with relative rotation of the optical medium and the processing tool thereby altering the optical medium to produce the spatially selective alteration thereon,
• wherein:
• the processing tool includes a processing beam source and a processing beam delivery assembly for spatially selectively delivering the processing beam to the optical medium;
• and
• the processing tool positioner includes a shadow-mask adapted for spatially-selectively applying the processing beam to the optical fiber.