Neodymium oxide doped yttrium aluminum garnet optical fiber
US4040890A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 1975 |
| Grant date | Aug 9, 1977 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 1995 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/2971
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
There is disclosed a technique for growing, from a melt, doped single-crystal fibers for use as lasers or other active or passive optical devices of a size that is compatible with proposed optical fiber communications systems. A rod of undoped material has deposited thereon, by mechanical means, a powder or a slurry of a compound of the active ion or other dopant. A melt is formed at the end of the rod with a laser beam and a reduced diameter doped single-crystal fiber is grown or drawn from the melt by pulling with a wire or, when desired crystalline orientation is needed, by pulling with a pointed and oriented seed crystal. The pulling step, at least in the specific case of a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) fiber, is repeated a plurality of times with approximately a 3:1 diameter reduction each time in order to obtain the desired fiber size; but only one deposition of the dopant compound is needed.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.