US 7,068,897 B2 · Method for restoring or increasing photosensitivity in hydrogen or deuterium loaded large diameter optical waveguide

Abstract

The present invention provides a new and unique method for increasing the photosensitivity of a large diameter optical waveguide having a cross-section of at least about 0.3 millimeters. The method features loading the large diameter optical waveguide with a photosensitizing gas at a pressure at least about 4000 pounds per square inch (PSI) at a temperature of at least about 250E Celsius. The photosensitizing gas may be hydrogen, Deuterium or other suitable gas. The method also includes the step of using a particular large diameter optical waveguide having a diameter of greater than 0.9 millimeters. The method may be used as part of a process for writing a Bragg grating in an inner core or a cladding of the large diameter optical waveguide.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method for writing a Bragg grating in a large diameter optical waveguide having a cross-section of at least about 0.3 millimeters, an inner core and a cladding surrounding the inner core, comprising:

loading the large diameter optical waveguide with a photosensitizing gas at a pressure at least about 4000 pounds per square inch (PSI) at a temperature of at least about 250 degrees Celsius;
and
writing at least one Bragg grating in a selected part of the large diameter optical waveguide.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/459,653Filed 10 Jun 2003 · us provisional application

Priority

10 Jun 2002

Published

US 2004/0037504 A126 Feb 2004

Granted

27 Jun 2006

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G02B 6/02133
Characterised by the method of manufacture of the grating: using beam interference
G02B 5/1857
Manufacturing methods: using exposure or etching means, e.g. holography, photolithography, exposure to electron or ion beams
G02B 6/02114
Refractive index modulation gratings, e.g. Bragg gratings: characterised by enhanced photosensitivity characteristics of the fibre, e.g. hydrogen…
G02B 6/02123
Refractive index modulation gratings, e.g. Bragg gratings: characterised by the method of manufacture of the grating

Method for restoring or increasing photosensitivity in hydrogen or deuterium loaded large diameter optical waveguide

Life of this patent

Method for restoring or increasing photosensitivity in hydrogen or deuterium loaded large diameter optical waveguide

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11