Accelerated aging of phosphorus-doped optical fibers
AssigneeOFS Fitel, LLC
InventorsDavid J. DiGiovanni, Michael LuValle, George E. Oulundsen, Durgesh Shivram Vaidya, Robert Lingle, Jr.
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Abstract
Adverse hydrogen aging limitations in multiply-doped optical fibers are overcome by passivating these optical fibers using a deuterium passivation process. This treatment essentially pre-reacts the glass with deuterium so that the most active glass sites are no longer available to react with hydrogen in service. Optical fibers of main interest are doped with mixtures of germanium and phosphorus. Optimum passivating process conditions are described.
Claims16
Method for passivating an optical fiber, wherein the optical fiber is SiO2 co-doped with GeO2 and P2 O5, comprising the step of heating the optical fiber in an atmosphere containing deuterium at a temperature in the range 65-100 degrees C. for at least 2 hours and then heating the optical fiber in an inert atmosphere at a temperature in the range of 65-100 degrees C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.