Abstract: The invention is directed to glass articles having improved resistance to edge fracture resulting from armoring the edges using metallic material adhesively bonded to the edges of the glass article. In one embodiment the metallic edge material is machinable to enable final finish of the part to specification tolerances. One of a plurality of layers of the metallic material can be applied to edge.

Abstract: The strain-managed optical waveguide assemblies of the present invention utilize a large-mode-area (LMA) optical fiber that is annealed in a first bending such that the fiber in that configuration has substantially no axial strain. A fiber support member is then used to support the annealed LMA optical fiber in a second bending configuration that forms within the LMA optical fiber an axial strain profile that reduces stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) as compared to the first bending configuration, and that also preferably causes the LMA optical fiber to operate in a single mode. The LMA optical fiber may have a double-clad configuration and include a doped core that serves as a gain medium. The strain-managed optical waveguide assembly can then be used to constitute a fiber amplifier that mitigates the SBS penalty associated with high-power fiber-based optical systems.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a photonic crystal or photonic band gap optical fiber comprises providing a preform that includes a plurality of holes in an outer diameter, wherein the holes extend from a first end of a preform to a second end of the preform, and forming at least one radially inwardly-extending slot within the preform such that the slot intersects at least some of the holes, wherein the slot does not intersect at least one hole. The method also includes establishing a first pressure in the holes intersected by the slot by introducing the first pressure to the slot, and establishing a second pressure in the at least one hole not intersected by the slot by introducing the second pressure to an end of the at least one hole not intersected by the slot. The method further includes drawing the preform into a fiber while independently controlling the first and second pressures.

Abstract: An optical fiber comprising: (i) a core; (ii) a cladding surrounding the core; wherein the cladding comprises a cladding ring that: (a) has a width W equal to or less than 10 microns; (b) includes at least 50 airlines, each airline having a maximum diameter or a maximum width of not more than 2 microns and more than 50% of said airlines have a length of more than 20 m; (c) has an air fill fraction of 0. 1% to 10%, and (d) has an inner radius Rin and an outer radius Rout, wherein 6 ?m?Rin?14 ?m, and 8 ?m?Rout?14 ?m; and (iii) an outer cladding surrounding said cladding ring.

Abstract: An optical fiber comprising: (i) a core; (ii) a cladding surrounding the core; wherein the cladding comprises a cladding ring that: (a) has a width W equal to or less than 10 microns; (b) includes at least 50 airlines, each airline having a maximum diameter or a maximum width of not more than 2 microns and more than 50% of said airlines have a length of more than 20 m; (c) has an air fill fraction of 0.1% to 10%, and (d) has an inner radius Rin and an outer radius Rout, wherein 6 ?m?Rin?14 ?m, and 8 ?m?Rout?14 ?m; and (iii) an outer cladding surrounding said cladding ring.

Abstract: The invention relates to a burner module having a body that is either sintered or photo-cured, and to methods of making such a burner module. The body (110) of the burner (100) is formed from one of a sintered metal, a sintered alloy, a laminated glass ceramic, and a photo-cured polymer. 1 Sintering and photo-curing may be accomplished by irradiating the body with localized heating using a focused energy source, such as a laser. The burner module is resistant to thermal shock and provides a distributed, even stream of a precursor or precursors to be reacted in a flame of the burner module to form soot, which is to deposited on a receptor surface, and may be used for vapor and liquid precursor delivery systems. A soot depostion system having an array of such burner modules and methods of making a fused silica article by depositing sopt using the burner modules are also described.

Abstract: An image mask assembly for photolithography. The image mask assembly includes an image mask, a synthetic fused silica pellicle for protecting the image mask, and a frame holding the image mask and pellicle. The image mask includes a synthetic fused silica sheet comprising at least one layer and having a pattern written on a surface of the fused silica sheet. Methods of making the image mask and synthetic fused silica pellicle are also provided.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for making glass soot sheet and sintered glass sheet. Glass soot particles are deposited on a curved deposition surface of a rotating drum to form a soot sheet. The soot sheet is then released from the deposition surface. The soot sheet can be sintered into a consolidated glass. The soot sheet and the sintered glass can be sufficiently long and flexible to be reeled into a roll.

Abstract: The strain-managed optical waveguide assemblies of the present invention utilize a large-mode-area (LMA) optical fiber that is annealed in a first bending such that the fiber in that configuration has substantially no axial strain. A fiber support member is then used to support the annealed LMA optical fiber in a second bending configuration that forms within the LMA optical fiber an axial strain profile that reduces stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) as compared to the first bending configuration, and that also preferably causes the LMA optical fiber to operate in a single mode. The LMA optical fiber may have a double-clad configuration and include a doped core that serves as a gain medium. The strain-managed optical waveguide assembly can then be used to constitute a fiber amplifier that mitigates the SBS penalty associated with high-power fiber-based optical systems.

Abstract: A method for laminating glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic layers. The method comprises providing a first layer of glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic, wherein the glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic of the first layer is electromagnetic radiation-sensitive or has an electromagnetic radiation susceptor disposed on it; stacking a second layer of glass, glass-ceramic, or ceramic on the first layer; and irradiating the stack with electromagnetic radiation to laminate the first and second layers.

Abstract: An apparatus and process for making glass soot sheet and sintered glass sheet. Glass soot particles are deposited on a curved deposition surface of a rotating drum to form a soot sheet. The soot sheet is then released from the deposition surface. The soot sheet can be sintered into a consolidated glass. The soot sheet and the sintered glass can be sufficiently long and flexible to be reeled into a roll.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a microstructure for an optical waveguide such as a photonic bandgap fiber is provided. The method includes the steps of assembling a stack of capillary tubes having substantially identical dimensions, fusing and redrawing the stack into a preform having a plurality of parallel holes of equal diameter, selecting a pattern of the holes for etching in order to increase their diameter, and plugging the unselected holes at one end of the preform against the flow of a pressurized etching fluid. Such plugging of the unselected holes is accomplished applying a layer of a gel-like sealant over the end of the preform, and then pushing the sealant into the holes to form sealant plugs in all of the holes. The sealant plugs are then removed from the selected holes by punching the sealant plugs out of the selected holes.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for making silica. A liquid, preferably halide-free, silicon-containing compound capable of being converted by thermal oxidative decomposition to SiO2 is provided and introduced directly into the flame of a combustion burner, which converts the compound to silica, thereby forming finely divided amorphous soot. The soot is vaporized at the site where the liquid is converted into silica by pneumatically atomizing the liquid with a stream of oxygen gas, or a mixture of oxygen gas and nitrogen gas. The amorphous soot is deposited on a receptor surface where, either substantially simultaneously with or subsequently to its deposition, the soot is consolidated into a body of fused silica glass.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical waveguide fiber preform which is an assembly of one or more core rods surrounded by a plurality of clad rods. The clad rods have a central portion and a surrounding layer, in which the refractive index of the central portion is lower than that of the surrounding layer. The preform is drawn into an optical waveguide fiber that has a two component clad layer. Proper choice of the central portion and surrounding layer provide a waveguide fiber that is endlessly single mode. Alternative embodiments include fibers containing dopants that enhance fiber photosensitivity or which provide stress-induced or asymmetric-refractive-index-induced birefringence in the waveguide fiber.