Graded refractive index optical fibers, optical components fabricated to include plural graded index optical fibers and methods of fabricating the same
US7305166B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 14, 2004 |
| Grant date | Dec 4, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 13, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC03B2205/16
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A graded-refractive-index optical fiber is fabricated by providing an elongated core rod of a first material including a concentration of high-refractive-index ions and a cladding tube of a second material including a lower concentration of the high-refractive-index ions present in the core rod material. The core rod is axially introduced into the cladding tube and the core rod and cladding tube are heated and vertically drawn in the furnace of a fiber drawing tower to cause the collapse of the cladding tube about the core rod and the radially outward diffusion of high-refractive-index ions into the cladding tube to yield an optical fiber exhibiting a radially graded refractive index that decreases with displacement from the rod axis. In various implementations, fused image-conducting fiber bundles are fabricated by bundling, heating and drawing a plurality of constituent-GRIN-optical-fiber pre-forms.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.