Spectran Corporation

Raymond E Jaeger

Mohd Aslami

A composite capillary tube structure made of a plurality of glass layers and methods for making same. This composite includes inner and outer layers of fused silica glass separated by an intermediate layer of a glass material having a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the fused silica glass. The glass material of the intermediate layer also has a glass transition temperature on the same order as that of fused silica, so that the fused silica layers are maintained under compressive forces over a temperature range of up to about 400.degree. C. Preferably, the intermediate layer is a borosilicate or aluminosilicate glass.

Composite capillary tube structure and method of forming

An arrangement for an optical fiber pressure sensor is described. This sensor is comprised of two coating layers concentrically clad to and coaxially oriented with an optical fiber. The first coating layer is comprised of a relatively hard optically lossy material which absorbs any light radiating outwardly from the optical fiber. The second coating layer is comprised of a compliant material in which granular particles have been uniformly dispersed. In response to any pressure laterally applied to the sensor, the compliant coating layer imparts micro-bends, onto the optical fiber, which, in turn, couple light from propagating modes to non-propagating modes. As a result, the amplitude (or power) of the light exiting the optical fiber advantageously decreases in response to this pressure.

Fiber optic pressure sensor

A concentric core optical fiber comprised of an inorganic crystalline, preferably metallic, central core and an optical waveguide having an optical ring core and inner- and outer-glass cladding layers concentrically clad to the central core is described. A long length of such an optical fiber can advantageously support a heavy load for a substantial period of time without fatiguing while providing a transmission medium for optical and/or electrical signals.

High tensile strength optical fiber

A magnetically sensitive optical fiber is described. Specifically, this fiber is comprised of a central core containing magnetostrictive material and an optical waveguide, having an optical ring core and inner- and outer-glass cladding layers, clad to the central core. The core is constructed from magnetostrictive material which is readily and inexpensively available as wire of various gauges. The wire is chosen to have a relatively large cross-sectional area with respect to that of the glass cladding layer(s). The resulting optical fiber is advantageously highly sensitive to weak magnetic fields and is also both simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

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Sturbridge, MA, United States of America

Raymond E Jaeger