Weatherford/lamb, Inc.

Other

Schott Corporation

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

United Technologies Corporation

Carl-zeiss-stiftung

Schott Glas

Cidra Corporation

Uniphase Telecommunications Products, Inc.

Robert A Rubino, Jr

Christopher Chestnut

Jeffrey A Bonja

Peter Brix

Michael Weisser

Richard Strack

Jeffrey Albert Bonja

Klaus Gerstner

Armin Plichta

Dirk Schlatterbeck

Nabil E Mishriky

Peter Gumprecht

Douglas A Norton

Martin Sommer

Daniel Caisse

Alan D Kersey

James R Dunphy

Thomas Wolfgang Engel

William H Glenn

Inka Henze

Peter K Cheo

Carl M Ferrar

Kevin Tabor

Meyer Gilden

James D Farina

Christopher T Chipman

Donald E Bossi

Phillip E Pruett

Patricia Dawson

Edward Laffitte

Robert Markoja

Kenneth Falkowich

Paul Arsenault

A mesh () is placed around a bundle () of fused glass fibers. The bundle is then immersed in a leaching bath (). The ends of the bundle are protected from the bath fluid by furrules (). Some of the glass of the bundle is leached out, so as to provide a flexible fiber bundle.

Method of manufacturing a leached fiber bundle

A method of mounting electro-optical devices on an optical element using an auxiliary substrate is provided herein. Electro-optical fiber optic assemblies are also described herein.

Method of mounting optoelectronic devices on an optical element and article

A connector for joining a first fiber optic cable end and a second fiber optic end includes first and second connector ends adapted to receive the first and second fiber optic cable ends. Each connector end houses a plurality of termini for terminating the fiber optic cable ends. The connector also includes a first alignment feature and a second alignment feature. The first alignment feature includes a plurality of flanges formed on the first connector end to define a plurality of key openings and a plurality of key protrusions formed on the second connector end adapted to fit into the plurality of key openings to ensure proper alignment of the first and second connector ends. The second alignment includes a plurality of termini keys with each termini key being disposed on each of the termini and fitting into a key termini slot formed in the first and second connector ends for receiving the termini. The first and second alignment features ensure that the first connector end is properly aligned with respect to the second connector end and that each termini disposed in the first connector end is properly aligned with each termini disposed in the second connector end.

Fiber optic cable connector with a plurality of alignment features

A ruggedized optical rearrangement device is provided. The device includes an input side having multiple separate flexible input light guide arrays, each of the arrays including multiple light guides. The device also includes an output side in which the light guides are repositioned to form multiple flexible output light guide arrays. A tube positioned between the input and output sides protects a transition region of the plurality of light guides. Adapters are positioned at each end of the tube, and at least one flexible strength element associated with the light guide arrays is connected to the adapters to prevent damage to the light guides. A method for ruggedizing an optical rearrangement device is also provided.

Ruggedized optical fiber rearrangement device

A fiber optic assembly including an alignment plate having an M&times;N array of alignment holes formed thereon and an equal number of optical fibers, each bonded to a respective one of the alignment holes. A bondline, preferably an inorganic adhesive having a glass transition temperature of at least about 150&deg; C., is located between each optical fiber and its respective alignment hole. The bondline is preferably less than about 200 nm in thickness. The inorganic adhesive is preferably formed from a colloidal suspension of sodium silicate.

Use of sol-gel as inorganic adhesive for high stability, hermetic bonding of optical fiber to an alignment plate

A fiber optic cable includes a core and a surrounding protective layer. The core includes an inner tube having one or more optical fibers contained therein, and the surrounding protective layer includes an outer tube received over the inner tube, and a layer of buffer material positioned between the outer tube and the inner tube. The buffer material maintains the inner tube generally centrally located within the outer tube and providing a mechanical link between the inner tube and the outer tube to prevent relative movement therebetween. The inner tube may be coated with a low hydrogen permeability material to minimize the entrance of hydrogen into the inner tube. The low hydrogen permeability material may be coated with a protective layer of hard, scratch resistant material to protect the integrity of the low hydrogen permeability material. The area in the inner tube not occupied by the optical fibers may be filled with a filler material, the filler material being selected to have a sufficient viscosity to resist the shear forces applied to it as a result of the weight of the optical fibers within the tube while allowing movement of the optical fibers within the tube during spooling, deployment and handling of the cable to thereby prevent damage and microbending of the optical fibers. The filling material may be impregnated with a hydrogen absorbing/scavenging material to remove any excess hydrogen within the inner tube. The optical fibers have an excess length with respect to the inner tube, and the cable may include an outer jacket of a high temperature, protective material to protect the cable during handling and installation.

Optical fiber cable for use in harsh environments

A connector for joining a first fiber optic cable end and a second fiber optic end includes first and second connector ends adapted to receive the first and second fiber optic cable ends. Each connector end houses a plurality of termini for terminating the fiber optic cable ends. The connector also includes a first alignment feature and a second alignment feature. The first alignment feature includes a plurality of flanges formed on the first connector end to define a plurality of key openings and a plurality of key protrusions formed on the second connector end adapted to fit into the plurality of key openings to ensure proper alignment of the first and second connector ends. The second alignment includes a plurality of termini keys with each termini key being disposed on each of the termini and fitting into a key termnini slot formed in the first and second connector ends for receiving the termini. The first and second alignment features ensure that the first connector end is properly aligned with respect to the second connector end and that each termini disposed in the first connector end is properly aligned with each termini disposed in the second connector end.

Fiber optic cable connectors for downhole applications

A fiber optic assembly comprising a plurality of optical fibers bonded together with an inorganic adhesive having a glass transition temperature of at least about 150&deg; C. The inorganic adhesive preferably comprises a sol-gel, such a colloidal suspension of sodium silicate, that creates bondlines between adjacent optical fibers that are less than about 200 nm in thickness.

Use of sol-gel as an inorganic adhesive for high stability, self organizing, fiber optic array

A fiber optic transmission cable fiber protector includes a splice tube positioned over the ends of a pair of fiber optic cables having an outer capillary tube containing at least one optical fiber within an inner capillary tube. The optical fiber protector includes a pair of optical fiber strain relief mechanism positioned near the ends of the optical fibers; the strain relief mechanisms are captured within a heat sink tube that is inserted into each end of the outer capillary tubes. The splice tube is welded to the outer capillary tubes. Heat generated by the welding process dissipated by the heat sink and gases generated during the welding process are vented through a hole in the outer capillary tube into the optical fiber splice area. In an alternate embodiment a weld coupling is welded to each end of the splice tube and is further welded to the outer capillary tubes. A sealing mechanism is positioned on the inner capillary tubes within the outer capillary tubes forming a seal therebetween. A splice protection sleeve is positioned over the optical fiber splice area to protect the splice during assembly of the protector. In an alternative embodiment an optical fiber protector assembly includes a carrier tube disposed onto the inner capillary tube and an optical fiber strain relief mechanism positioned within the carrier tube near the end of the optical fiber capturing the fiber therein in a strain relieved condition.

Transmission cable optical fiber protector and method

The present invention provides a sensor system for sensing a parameter, comprising an optical source, coupler and signal processor system in combination with multiple structured fiber Bragg gratings. The optical source, coupler and signal processor system provide an optical source signal to the multiple structured fiber Bragg gratings. The optical source, coupler and signal processor system also responds to multiple structured fiber Bragg grating signals, for providing an optical source, coupler and signal processor system signal containing information about a sensed parameter. The multiple structured fiber Bragg gratings respond to the optical source signal, and further respond to the sensed parameter, for providing the multiple structured fiber Bragg grating signals containing information about a complex superposition of spectral responses or codes related to the sensed parameter. Each of the multiple structured fiber Bragg gratings includes a respective broadband spectral response or code related to the sensed parameter.

Bragg grating sensor system with spectral response or code division multiplexing

Optical fiber cable having fiber in metal tube core with outer protective layer

A ferroelectric material 44 is selectively poled using laser light 14 capable of being absorbed by the material 44, a shutter 18 for turning the light on and off, a variable attenuator 28, with a beam splitter 31 and an optical detector 31a, to set the laser power level, a lens 32 to provide focused laser light 14d, a mirror 36 driven by a motor 40 (mirror-scanner) to direct the light to the regions to be poled, and an electric field applied by electrodes 68, 70. A computer 24 provides automatic control over selective poling of the material 44 by controlling the shutter 18, variable attenuator 28, mirror 36 position, and the direction of the applied electric field. A temperature sensor 52 provides temperature feedback to ensure proper laser power and dwell time. In the alternative, the material 44 is covered with a mask 604 and scanned with the laser to provide selective pole reversal.

Laser assisted thermo-electric poling of ferroelectric material

A broadband laser which can be electronically tuned to a narrow line by insertion of a frequency selective element in the laser cavity.

Electronic tuning of a broadband laser

A novel single sideband electro-optic modulator is characterized by a reentrant waveguide structure. The reentrant waveguide structure allows for a factor of four enhancement of conversion efficiency and a factor of five reduction in phase velocity mismatch between the optical wave and modulating microwave due to microwave dispersion in wideband (2 GHz) operation.

Reentrant traveling-wave single sideband optical modulator

Growing community of inventors

Tolland, CT, United States of America

Robert A Rubino, Jr