Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods for drawing sheet glass. More particularly, one or more sets of edge rolls can be configured to have a rotation axis angled away from a line orthogonal to the direction of flow of a ribbon of glass and positioned so as to contact the glass in the viscous region of the draw. Through control over the orientation and position of the one or more sets of edge rolls, sheet width attenuation may be eliminated, thickness of the beads that form along the edges of the glass sheet may be reduced, and instabilities associated with sheet width variation may be eliminated.

Abstract: A mode division multiplexing system that includes a transmitter system, a receiver system and an optical link that optically connects the transmitter and receiver systems. The optical link includes a rectangular-core optical fiber having a rectangular core with a short dimension and a long dimension. The rectangular-core optical fiber supports only a single mode in the short dimension and multiple modes in the long dimension. A method of transmitting optical signals includes converting single mode optical signals to respective multimode optical signals each having a select spatial mode as defined by the rectangular-core optical fiber. The multimode optical signals are multiplexed and transmitted from the transmitter system to the receiver system over the rectangular-core optical fiber where the multimode optical signals are demultiplexed and converted back to single mode optical signals, which are then detected by respective receivers. A rectangular-core optical fiber is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for generating various stress profiles for chemically strengthened glass. An alkali aluminosilicate glass is brought into contact with an ion exchange media such as, for example, a molten salt bath containing an alkali metal cation that is larger than an alkali metal cation in the glass. The ion exchange is carried out at temperatures greater than about 420° C. and at least about 30° C. below the anneal point of the glass.

Abstract: A glass tube manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing glass tubing includes a glass delivery tank with molten glass. The glass delivery tank has a bottom opening. A bell has an upper portion with an outer diameter located at the bottom opening. A heating apparatus is at least partially disposed around the bell. The heating apparatus includes a heating portion and a muffle portion located below the heating portion. A lower extended muffle structure extends downwardly from the muffle portion. The lower extended muffle structure extending about a periphery of the glass tubing to manage convective airflow therethrough.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are apparatuses and methods for drawing sheet glass. More particularly, one or more sets of edge rolls can be configured to have a rotation axis angled away from a line orthogonal to the direction of flow of a ribbon of glass and positioned so as to contact the glass in the viscous region of the draw. Through control over the orientation and position of the one or more sets of edge rolls, sheet width attenuation may be eliminated, thickness of the beads that form along the edges of the glass sheet may be reduced, and instabilities associated with sheet width variation may be eliminated.

Abstract: A few-mode optical fiber is provided. The few-mode optical fiber includes an elliptical core capable of supporting the propagation and transmission of an optical signal with X number of LP modes at a wavelength of 1550 nm, wherein X is an integer greater than 1 and less than 20, and a cladding surrounding the core. The core has an ovality of greater than about 5.0%.

Abstract: A system and method of thermally tempering a glass laminate including a core layer and cladding layers fused to opposing sides of the core layer, the method including: preheating the glass laminate to a temperature between the annealing point and the softening point of the core layer; and selectively heating the glass laminate using microwave radiation, while actively cooling the glass laminate, such that a temperature differential of at least about 30° C. is generated between the core and cladding layers.

Abstract: Methods of forming ion-exchanged waveguides in glass substrates are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of forming a waveguide in an ion-exchanged glass substrate having an ion-exchanged layer extending from a surface to a depth of layer of the ion-exchanged glass substrate includes locally heating at least one band at the surface of the ion-exchanged glass substrate to diffuse ions in the ion-exchanged layer within the at least one band. A concentration of ions within the at least one band is less than a concentration of ions outside of the at least one band, and at least one waveguide is defined within the ion-exchanged layer adjacent the at least one band. In some embodiments, the at least one waveguide is embedded within the ion-exchanged glass substrate such that an upper surface of the at least one waveguide is below the surface of the glass substrate by a depth d.

Abstract: Methods of fabricating a glass laminate is provided. According to one embodiment, a glass laminate comprised of a microwave absorbing layer and a microwave transparent layer is formed. The microwave absorbing layer is characterized by a microwave loss tangent ?H that is at least a half order of magnitude larger than a loss tangent ?L of the microwave transparent layer. An area of the glass laminate is exposed to microwave radiation. The exposed area comprises a cross-laminate hot zone having a cross-laminate hot zone temperature profile. Substantially all microwave absorbing layer portions of the hot zone temperature profile and substantially all microwave transparent layer portions of the hot zone temperature profile reside above the glass transition temperature TG of the various layers of the glass laminate prior to impingement by the microwave radiation.

Abstract: A mode division multiplexing system that includes a transmitter system, a receiver system and an optical link that optically connects the transmitter and receiver systems. The optical link includes a rectangular-core optical fiber having a rectangular core with a short dimension and a long dimension. The rectangular-core optical fiber supports only a single mode in the short dimension and multiple modes in the long dimension. A method of transmitting optical signals includes converting single mode optical signals to respective multimode optical signals each having a select spatial mode as defined by the rectangular-core optical fiber. The multimode optical signals are multiplexed and transmitted from the transmitter system to the receiver system over the rectangular-core optical fiber where the multimode optical signals are demultiplexed and converted back to single mode optical signals, which are then detected by respective receivers. A rectangular-core optical fiber is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for downwardly drawing glass ribbon comprises edge directors, wherein an outer portion defining a first pair of surfaces and a second pair of surfaces. In one example, the first and second pair of surfaces of each edge director includes a glass wettability with a static contact angle within a range of from about 30° to about 60°. In another example, the outer portion comprises a platinum alloy including from about 0.05 weight % tin to about 5 weight % tin. Methods for forming glass include the step of providing the edge director with a desired glass wettability and/or a desired platinum alloy.

Abstract: Methods of forming ion-exchanged waveguides in glass substrates are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method of forming a waveguide in an ion-exchanged glass substrate having an ion-exchanged layer extending from a surface to a depth of layer of the ion-exchanged glass substrate includes locally heating at least one band at the surface of the ion-exchanged glass substrate to diffuse ions in the ion-exchanged layer within the at least one band. A concentration of ions within the at least one band is less than a concentration of ions outside of the at least one band, and at least one waveguide is defined within the ion-exchanged layer adjacent the at least one band. In some embodiments, the at least one waveguide is embedded within the ion-exchanged glass substrate such that an upper surface of the at least one waveguide is below the surface of the glass substrate by a depth d.

Abstract: A multicore fiber is provided that includes a plurality of elliptical cores spaced apart from one another. Each of the plurality of elliptical cores has an elliptical shape. The multicore fiber also includes a cladding surrounding the plurality of elliptical cores.

Abstract: An apparatus for downwardly drawing a glass ribbon includes a forming vessel including an upper portion including a pair of outside surfaces and a forming wedge portion including a pair of downwardly inclined forming surfaces converging along a downstream direction to form a bottom edge. An edge director is provided that includes a flow blocking portion. In some embodiments, the edge director also includes a flow directing portion.

Abstract: A laminated glass article has a first layer having a first ion exchange diffusivity, D0, and a second layer adjacent to the first layer and having a second ion exchange diffusivity, D1. D0/D1 is from about 1.2 to about 10, or D0/D1 is from about 0.05 to about 0.95. A method for manufacturing the laminated glass article includes forming a first layer having a first ion exchange diffusivity, D0, and forming a second layer adjacent to the first layer and having a second ion exchange diffusivity, D1. The laminated glass article can be strengthened by an ion exchange process to form a strengthened laminated glass article having a compressive stress layer with a depth of layer from about 8 ?m to about 100 ?m.

Abstract: Systems and methods utilizing two Airy beams to process a non-rounded edge of a glass substrate or to cleave a glass substrate are disclosed. The method includes generating first and second Airy beams and causing them to cross at a crossing to define a curved intensity profile in the vicinity of the crossing point where the first and second Airy beams have respective local radii of curvature RA and RB. The method also includes scanning the curved intensity profile either along the non-rounded outer edge or through the glass along a scan path to form on the glass substrate a rounded outer edge having a radius of curvature RE that is smaller than the first and second local radii of curvature RA and RB. The radius of curvature RE can be adjusted by changing a beam angle between the first and second Airy beams.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for making a glass ribbon includes a forming wedge with a pair of inclined forming surface portions converging along a downstream direction to form a root. The apparatus further includes an edge director intersecting with at least one of the pair of downwardly inclined forming surface portions, and a replaceable heating cartridge configured to direct heat to the edge director and thermally shield the edge director from heat loss. A replaceable heating cartridge is also provided for directing heat to the edge director and thermally shielding the edge director from heat loss.

Abstract: A multimode optical fiber may include a core portion formed from SiO2 intentionally doped with a single dopant, wherein the single dopant is phosphorous or a compound of phosphorous. A glass cladding portion may surround and be in direct contact with the core portion. The glass cladding portion may comprise an outer cladding portion and a low-index moat disposed between the core portion and the outer cladding portion. The optical fiber may also have a bandwidth greater than or equal to 2000 MHz-km for each wavelength within a wavelength operating window centered on a wavelength within an operating wavelength range from about 850 nm to about 1310 nm, the wavelength operating window having a width greater than 100 nm. The optical fiber may also have a restricted launch bend loss less than or equal to 0.5 dB/(2 turns around a 15 mm diameter mandrel) at 850 nm.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for making a glass ribbon includes a forming wedge with a pair of inclined forming surface portions converging along a downstream direction to form a root. The apparatus further includes an edge director intersecting with at least one of the pair of downwardly inclined forming surface portions, and a replaceable heating cartridge configured to direct heat to the edge director and thermally shield the edge director from heat loss. A replaceable heating cartridge is also provided for directing heat to the edge director and thermally shielding the edge director from heat loss.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for making a glass ribbon includes a forming wedge with a pair of inclined forming surface portions converging along a downstream direction to form a root. The apparatus further includes an edge director intersecting with at least one of the pair of downwardly inclined forming surface portions, and a replaceable heating cartridge configured to direct heat to the edge director and thermally shield the edge director from heat loss. A replaceable heating cartridge is also provided for directing heat to the edge director and thermally shielding the edge director from heat loss.