At&t Bell Laboratories

Tyco Telecommunications (us) Inc.

Raymond D Tuminaro

Robert M Atkins

George E Peterson

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for improved long term signal attenuation performance of fiber optic cable and cable and/or fiber interface components. The improved long term signal attenuation performance of the fiber optic cable is achieved by introducing an additive that will occupy defect sites in the optical fibers, such as deuterium, into materials used in the fiber optic cable, either prior to or during the assembly process. The fiber optic cable casing structure then acts as a reaction chamber so that the additive which has been introduced during the fiber optic cable assembly process will react with the optical fibers so as to occupy defect site locations in the optical fibers. For example, the reaction of silica defect sites with deuterium improves the long term stability of the attenuation characteristics of the fiber optic cables because the number of defect sites available for hydrogen molecules to react with are reduced. According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention deuterium is introduced into a fill material used in the fiber optic cable. Further, the material into which deuterium is introduced may be an embedding material into which the optical fibers are embedded within the casing of the fiber optic cable. The deuterium may be introduced into the material by dissolving the deuterium into the material or bubbling the material with deuterium. In another exemplary embodiment of the invention, deuterium is introduced into a fiber optic apparatus housing, which contains fiber optic components, prior to sealing the housing. According to a still further exemplary embodiment of the invention, deuterium is introduced into the fiber optic cable by exposing the optical fibers to deuterium prior to assembling the optical fibers into a fiber optic cable.

Device and method for improved long term signal attenuation performance of fiber optic cable and apparatus interfaces

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for improved long-term signal attenuation performance of fiber optic and/or fiber interface components. The improved long-term signal attenuation performance is achieved by introducing an additive such as deuterium into materials used in manufacturing the fiber optic cable. The fiber optic cable casing structure may then act as a reaction chamber so that the additive will react with the optical fibers and occupy defect site locations in the optical fibers. With the additive occupying defect sites in the optical fibers, it mitigates the presence of hydrogen into those same defect sites.

A method of for manufacturing a coated optical fiber includes depositing a conductive coating on the optical fiber and measuring a value of conductance of that coating. Featured within the manufacturing method is a method for measuring the thickness of the conductive coating on an insulator, e.g., carbon on an optical fiber, including the following steps. An electromagnetic field is established by an input signal. The conductively coated insulator is moved through the energized electromagnetic field. The conductive coating on the insulator is oriented with respect to the electric field so that their interaction increases transmission loss from input to output. An output signal is extracted from the electromagnetic field. From changes in the output signal with respect to a predetermined standard, or reference, the conductance and the thickness of the conductive coating are determined. From the measured thickness of the coating, a control signal is generated for dynamically controlling one or more of the process parameters for depositing the coating on the insulator from a precursor gas. The coated insulator continuously moves through the apparatus without any physical contact. No interruption of the production process occurs.

Measuring and controlling the thickness of a conductive coating on an

A process for manufacturing an optical fiber includes the steps of heating and drawing material from a hot optical fiber preform; depositing a conductive coating (especially carbon) on the moving optical fiber; putting a heat curable liquid material on the moving optical fiber; and curing the heat curable liquid material by inductively heating the conductive coating on the moving optical fiber in an electromagnetic field. Heat induced into the conductive coating by energy from the field is conducted from the conductive coating to the heat curable material. The optical fiber continuously moves through the steps of the process without any physical contact.

Method for making a carbon-coated and polymer-coated optical fiber

A process for manufacturing an optical fiber includes the steps of heating and drawing material from a hot optical fiber preform; exposing the hot optical fiber to a compound containing carbon for depositing a carbon coating on the moving optical fiber; measuring an electrical property of the carbon coating; and in response to the measured electrical property, changing a parameter of the process for controlling a characteristic of the carbon coating on the moving optical fiber. Featured within the manufacturing method is a method for measuring the thickness of the carbon coating on the moving optical fiber. From the measured thickness of the carbon coating, a control signal is generated for changing one or more of the process parameters for depositing the carbon coating on the optical fiber from a precursor gas. The coated optical fiber continuously moves through the process without any physical contact. No interruption of the production process occurs.

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Livingston, NJ, United States of America

Raymond D Tuminaro