Side-emitting step index fiber
AssigneeSchott AG
InventorsJochen Alkemper, Bernd Hoppe, Bernd Schultheis, Simone Monika Ritter, Inka Henze, Detlef Wolff, Axel Curdt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Between core and cladding, the side-emitting step index fibers have scattering centers that ensure the coupling out of light from the fiber. The side-emitting step index fibers are produced by preforms that contain inlay rods, in which the scattering centers are embedded and which are applied to the outer region of the fiber core during fiber drawing. Alternatively, at least one inlay tube can be used.
Claims16
A side-emitting step index fiber comprising a light-guiding core made from glass with a first refractive index, and a transparent and/or translucent cladding that is made from glass with a second refractive index and encloses the core along a fiber axis, wherein located between core and cladding is at least one scattering region that is formed from a glass that has a third refractive index and in which there are embedded scattering centers, wherein the third refractive index differs substantially from the second refractive index, wherein the third refractive index is at least equal to or greater than the first refractive index.
A method for producing a side-emitting step index fiber, comprising the steps of:
- providing a core rod made from a glass with a first refractive index;
- arranging an envelope tube made from a glass with a second refractive index such that the core rod is located within the envelope tube to form a preform;
- heating the preform;
- drawing out the preform to form a glass fiber or a light-guiding rod;
- and
- in order to obtain the perform, arranging at least one inlay rod made from a glass with a third refractive index between the envelope tube and the core rod in a fashion substantially parallel to an axis of the core rod, scattering centers being embedded in the glass of the at least one inlay rod.
A side-emitting step index fiber, comprising:
- a light-guiding core made from a first glass with a first refractive index, the light-guiding core defining a fiber axis;
- a cladding that is made from a second glass with a second refractive index, the cladding being transparent and/or translucent and enclosing the light-guiding core along the fiber axis;
- at least one scattering region located between the light-guiding core and the cladding, the at least one scattering region being formed from a third glass having a third refractive index, wherein the third refractive index differs substantially from the second refractive index;
- and
- scattering centers embedded in the third glass, wherein the third refractive index is at least equal to or greater than the first refractive index.
A side-emitting step index fiber comprising a light-guiding core made from glass with a first refractive index, and a transparent and/or translucent cladding that is made from glass with a second refractive index and encloses the core along a fiber axis, wherein located between core and cladding is at least one scattering region that is formed from a glass that has a third refractive index and in which there are embedded scattering centers, wherein the third refractive index differs substantially from the second refractive index, wherein the scattering centers are formed by inhomogeneous regions of the glass of the at least one scattering region in which they are embedded, and wherein the inhomogeneous regions are formed by phase separation and/or demixing of glass components of the glass of the at least one scattering region in which they are embedded.
A side-emitting step index fiber comprising a light-guiding core made from glass with a first refractive index, and a transparent and/or translucent cladding that is made from glass with a second refractive index and encloses the core along a fiber axis, wherein located between core and cladding is at least one scattering region that is formed from a glass that has a third refractive index and in which there are embedded scattering centers, wherein the third refractive index differs substantially from the second refractive index, wherein the scattering centers are formed by inhomogeneous regions of the glass of the at least one scattering region in which they are embedded, and wherein the glass of the at least one scattering region in which the scattering centers are embedded is an As—Pb-containing silicate glass, and the inhomogeneous regions have an increased content of Pb and/or As by comparison with the glass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.