Dynamic in-fiber particle production with precise dimensional control

US10406723B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• University of Central Florida Research Foundation · US
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology · US

Inventors

• Yoel Fink · Cambridge, US
• Ayman F. Abouraddy · Orlando, US
• Benjamin Jean-Baptiste Grena · Cambridge, US
• Alexander Gumennik · Brookline, US
• John D. Joannopoulos · Belmont, US
• Guillaume Lestoquoy · Cambridge, US
• Lei Wei · Longbeilingcun, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 13, 2014
• Grant date: Sep 10, 2019
• Expiry date: Dec 18, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T428/2991
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A fiber is provided that has been thermally drawn from a fiber preform, having a longitudinal-axis length and including at least one core that has a longitudinal core axis parallel to the longitudinal axis and internally disposed to at least one outer fiber cladding material layer along the fiber length. The fiber is fed through a localized heating site having a heating site temperature, T, that is above a melting temperature of the fiber core, with a feed speed, υf, that melts a portion of the fiber core at the heating site, causing molten droplets to pinch off of fiber core material, one droplet at a time, with a time period of molten droplet formation set by the fiber feed speed, υf. The fiber is fed through the localized heating site to move the molten droplets out of the heating site and solidify the molten droplets into solid in-fiber particles.