Corning Glass Works

Arnab Sarkar

Robert Olshansky

Donald B Keck

Michael G Blankenship

A process for manufacturing a preform from which is drawn an optical fiber, the core of which comprises layers of different glass composition. In one embodiment, the known CVD process for making preforms is modified by halting rotation of the substrate tube while the tube is asymmetrically heated by a source that traverses the length of the tube. A vapor mixture flowing through the tube reacts only near that region of the inner surface of the tube that is being heated. This forms a longitudinal strip of glass particles. The flow of reactants stops, the tube is rotated, and it is traversed by heating means which heats the tube to a temperature sufficiently high to fuse the glass particles and forming a longitudinal strip of glassy material.

Method of forming optical fiber having laminated core

A single mode optical waveguide is fabricated in a manner such that the core thereof is subjected to a stress-induced birefringence. A hollow intermediate product is formed by depositing layers of cladding and core glass on the inner surface of a substrate tube. Opposite sides of the intermediate product are heated to cause it to collapse into a solid preform foreproduct having an oblong cross-section. A layer of flame hydrolysis-produced soot having a circular outer surface is deposited on the preform foreproduct and is consolidated to form a dense glass cladding layer thereon. The TCE of the outer cladding layer is different from that of the preform foreproduct on which it is deposited so that when the resultant preform is drawn into a fiber, a stress-induced birefringence exists in the core.

Method of making polarization retaining single-mode optical waveguide

A glass optical waveguide filament preform is prepared by chemical reaction of vapor ingredients within a glass bait tube. As the reactants flow through the bait tube, a hot zone traverses the tube to cause the deposition of sooty reaction products in the region immediately downstream of the hot zone. A baffle tube extends into that end of the bait tube into which the reactants flow. The baffle tube, which traverses the bait tube along with the burner, ends just short of the hot zone so that no soot is deposited thereon. A gas flowing from the baffle tube creates a gaseous mandrel which confines the flow of reactant vapors to an annular channel adjacent the bait tube wall in the hot zone, thereby increasing deposition rate and efficiency.

Method and apparatus for making large diameter optical waveguide preforms

A glass optical waveguide preform is prepared by chemical reaction of vapor ingredients within a bait tube. As the reactants flow through the bait tube, a hot zone traverses the tube to cause the deposition of soot in a section of the tube just downstream of the hot zone. An axially disposed tubular burner, which is located just upstream from the hot zone, is mechanically coupled to the burner which generates the hot zone. The burner generates an axial water-free flame that extends through the hot zone. The flame creates a mandrel which confines the flow of reactants to an annular channel adjacent the bait tube wall in the hot zone. The flame also extends downstream from the hot zone where it increases the thermal gradient between the axis and the wall of the bait tube, thereby enhancing the thermophoresis effect, whereby deposition rate and efficiency are improved.

Method and apparatus for making optical fiber waveguides

A glass optical waveguide filament preform is prepared by chemical reaction of vapor ingredients within a glass bait tube. A reactant feed tube extends into one end of the bait tube and terminates just short of the hot zone where reaction occurs. The end of the feed tube traverses the bait tube along with the burner which generates the hot zone. Reactants flow radially from slots in the end of the wall of the feed tube and combine with a flushing gas to form a mixture which flows in a spiral path through the hot zone.

Apparatus and method for making optical filament preform

A method of forming a preform or blank for a high bandwidth gradient index optical filament, the preform itself and the resulting optical filament is disclosed. The preform which ultimately forms the optical filament includes a barrier layer between a tubular starting member which comprises the cladding and the core, the index of refraction of the barrier layer being equal to or less than the index of refraction of the tubular starting member; there being no step increase in the index of refraction of the barrier layer at the barrier layer-cladding interface nor of the core at the core-barrier layer interface of the optical filament. The barrier layer is formed from a base glass, a first dopant B.sub.2 O.sub.3, and at least one other dopant which is maintained substantially constant in the barrier layer and then gradually varied during the formation of the core. The quantity of B.sub.2 O.sub.3 is also maintained substantially constant in the barrier layer but then gradually decreased during the formation of the core.

High bandwidth optical waveguides and method of fabrication

A method of forming a preform or blank for a high bandwidth gradient index optical filament, the preform itself and the resulting optical filament is disclosed. The preform which ultimately forms the optical filament includes a barrier layer between a tubular starting member which comprises the cladding and the core, the index of refraction of the barrier layer being equal to or less than the index of refraction of the tubular starting member; there being no step increase in the index of refraction of the barrier layer at the barrier layer-cladding interface nor of the core at the core-barrier layer interface of the optical filament. The tubular starting member is formed of a base glass and at least one dopant, the index of refraction of the tubular starting member being in excess of said base glass. The barrier layer is formed from a base glass and at least one dopant which is maintained substantially constant in the barrier layer. The core is formed of a base glass and at least one dopant which is gradually varied during the formation of the core, the core being free of B.sub.2 O.sub.3.

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Big Flats, NY, United States of America

Arnab Sarkar