Abstract: A detection system comprising: (i) an optical fiber, the optical fiber having (a) a length L?1 km; (b) beat length between 10 m and 100 m; and (c) beat length uniformity over any distance of at least 100 m within the length L is characterized by standard deviation ?, where |?|?10 m; (ii) an OTDR coupled to the fiber and including (a) a radiation source providing pulsed radiation to the fiber, (b) a detection system capable of detecting radiation that is backscattered back through the fiber; and (iii) at least one polarizer situated between the fiber and the detector, such that the backscattered radiation passes through the polarizer before reaching the detector.

Abstract: An optical fiber, comprising: (i) a core, (ii) a cladding surrounding the core, (iii) at least one stress member adjacent the fiber core and situated within the cladding, said stress member comprising silica co-doped with B and F.

Abstract: A solid oxide fuel cell device includes layers of solid electrolyte, cathode plates, anode plates, a frame and a non-contaminating, electrochemically stable sealing material. The sealing material may have a CTE of about 95×10?7/° C. to about 115×10?7/° C. The sealing material may include from about 65 wt % to about 100 wt % of glass frit and from about 0 wt % to about 35 wt % of a filler material. The glass frit may include from about 0 mol % to about 43 mol % of a metal oxide expressed as RO wherein R comprises magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc and/or combinations thereof. The glass frit may also include from about 0 mol % to about 5 mol % Al2O3; from about 0 mol % to about 7 mol % TiO2; and from about 41 mol % to about 60 mol % SiO2.

Abstract: A system for passively scrambling and unscrambling a, pulse optical signal transmitted through a multi-mode optical fiber is provided. The system includes a scrambling unit connected between a signal receiving end of said transmission fiber and an optical signal source that includes an optical fiber which creates a differential delay between two groups of optical modes of the signal that is at least one bit period long such that said optical signal is passively scrambled, and an unscrambling unit connected to a signal transmitting end of said transmission fiber having an optical fiber that counteracts said differential delay between said two groups of optical modes of the signal such that said optical signal is passively unscrambled.

Abstract: A method for producing an optical fiber that includes a method for producing an optical fiber, said method comprising: (i) drawing a bare optical fiber from a preform along a first pathway at a rate of at least 10 m/sec; (ii) contacting said bare optical fiber with a region of fluid in a fluid bearing and redirecting said bare optical fiber along a second pathway as said bare optical fiber is drawn across said region of fluid cushion; (iii) coating the bare optical fiber; and (iv) irradiating said coated fiber in at least one irradiation zone to at least partially cure said coating, while subjecting the optical fiber to UV light.

Abstract: Described herein are methods for diminishing or preventing in electrochemical operating systems the deposition of a metal oxide on an electrode surface. The metal oxide is formed by electrochemically assisted reduction of volatile metal oxides formed from a metallic component exposed to oxidative environments. In one example, described herein are methods for diminishing or preventing poisoning of a cathode by applying a negative protection potential to the metallic component. In another example, described herein are methods for diminishing or preventing the deposition of a metal oxide on a cathode surface by removing oxygen from the metallic component itself and thereby decreasing the amount of released volatile oxide from the metallic component by use of an auxiliary oxygen pump cell.

Abstract: An embodiment of a sensor fiber includes: at least two fiber sections with a plurality of holes; and at least one other fiber section situated between said at least two fiber sections, wherein the at least one other fiber sections being without the plurality of holes.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the present invention the fuel cell device includes an electrolyte sheet. The electrolyte sheet has a substantially non-porous body of a varied thickness, a relatively smooth surface and a more textured surface with multiple indentations therein, wherein the thickest part of the electrolyte sheet is at least 0.5 micrometers greater than the thinnest part of said electrolyte sheet. The side of the electrolyte sheet with a relatively smooth surface is subjected to the predominately tensile force and the other, more textured surface subjected to predominately compressive force. According to one embodiment, the fuel cell also includes one cathode disposed on the more textured side of said electrolyte sheet at least at least one anode disposed opposite the cathode on the relatively smooth side of aid electrolyte sheet. According to one embodiment, the relatively smooth side of the electrolyte sheet is the fuel facing side and the more textured side is the air-facing side.

Abstract: A modular active board subassembly for coupling a waveguide array to an electrical component on a printed wiring board may include a substrate board with a sidewall extending around at least a portion of an attachment surface of the substrate board and forming a component cavity on the attachment surface. A transceiver may be disposed in the component cavity proximate an inboard edge of the substrate board. The transceiver may be electrically coupled to conductors on the attachment surface and electrically coupled to electrical contacts on an upper surface of the sidewall. A waveguide may be positioned in the component cavity and extend from the outboard edge of the substrate to the transceiver. The waveguide may be coupled to the transceiver.

Abstract: According to some embodiments an optical waveguide fiber comprises (i) a Ge free core having an effective area of 100 ?m2to 150 ?m2, at 1550 nm wavelength, said core comprising: a) a central core region extending radially outwardly from a centerline to a radius r1, and having a relative refractive index percent profile ?1(r) in % measured relative to pure silica, wherein ?0.1%??1(r)?0.12%, wherein the central core region has a maximum relative refractive index percent, ?1MAX; (b) a first annular core region surrounding and directly adjacent to the central core region, having an ? value 1.5???10, and extending to an outer radius r2, wherein 6 ?m?r2?10 ?m, and having a relative refractive index percent profile, ?2(r) in % measured relative to pure silica, a minimum relative refractive index ?2MIN, a maximum relative refractive index ?2MAX and the relative refractive index measured at a radius r=2 ?m, wherein 0.45??2?0; ?0.25??2MIN??0.

Abstract: Bend resistant optical fibers which are multi-moded at 1300 nm include a core, an inner cladding, a low index ring and an outer cladding. The core has a graded index of refraction with a core alpha profile where 1.9??C?2.1, a maximum relative refractive index percent ?1Max%, and a numerical aperture NA of greater than 0.23. The inner cladding surrounds the core and has a maximum relative refractive index percent ?2Max%, a minimum relative refractive index percent ?2Min%, and a radial thickness ?0.5 microns, wherein ?1Max%>?2Max%. The low index ring surrounds the inner cladding and has a relative refractive index percent ?3%, a radial thickness of at least 0.5 microns, a profile volume with an absolute magnitude of greater than 50%-?m2, wherein ?2Min%??3%. The outer cladding surrounds the low index ring and has a relative refractive index percent ?4%, such that ?1Max%>?4%??2Max%.

Abstract: According to one embodiment a method of making optical fibers comprises: (i) manufacturing a core cane; (ii) situating a plurality of microstructures selected from rods, air filled tubes and glass filed tubes and placing said microstructures adjacent to the core cane, said microstructures forming no more than 3 layers; (iii) placing the core cane with said adjacent microstructures inside a holding clad tube; and (iv) placing interstitial cladding rods inside the holding (clad) tube, thereby forming an assembly comprising a tube containing a core cane, a plurality of microstructures and interstitial cladding rods. The assembly is then drawn into a microstructured cane and an optical fiber is drawn from the microstructured cane. According to several embodiments, the method of making an optical fiber includes providing at least one air hole and at least one stress rod adjacent to the core.

Abstract: An optical system having an optical axis OA and comprising: a light source; a reflector; a lens component situated therebetween; and a receiver. The light source and the receiver are separated, situated substantially symmetrically and decentered with respect to the OA. The lens component collimates the light beam from the light source. The reflector intercepts the collimated beam and to reflects it to the receiver through the lens, the collimated beam being at an angle to the optical axis. The lens component is structured to provide on the receiver an image of the light source characterized by (i) 0.05<astigmatism<0.1 waves RMS, when the lens component is not misaligned with respect to the average emission angle of the light source; and (ii) astigmatism<0.05 RMS when the lens component is tilted by of 2 to 5 degrees with respect to the average emission angle of the light source.

Abstract: A double-clad optical fiber includes a core, an inner cladding and an outer cladding of silica-based glass. The core may have a radius of less than about 5 ?m, a first index of refraction n1 and does not contain any active rare-earth dopants. The inner cladding may surround the core and includes a radial thickness of at least about 25 ?m, a numerical aperture of at least about 0.25, and a second index of refraction n2 such that n2<n1. The relative refractive index percent (?%) of the core relative to the inner cladding may be greater than about 0.1%. The outer cladding may surround the inner cladding and include a radial thickness from about 10 ?m to about 50 ?m and a third index of refraction n3 such that n3<n2. The relative refractive index percent (?%) of the inner cladding relative to the outer cladding may be greater than about 1.5%.

Abstract: An optical package is provided comprising a lens system, the lens system comprising an adjustable lens component, a plurality of magnetic elements, and a multi-directional lens flexure. The adjustable lens component is mechanically coupled to a lens mounting portion of the multi-directional lens flexure. The magnetic elements comprise at least one fixed magnetic element and at least one motive magnetic element. The arrangement of the fixed and motive magnetic elements relative to each other forms a first fixed/motive element pair and a second fixed/motive element pair. The motive magnetic element of each fixed/motive element pair is mechanically coupled to a motive portion of the multi-directional lens flexure.

Abstract: An optical fiber comprising: (i) a glass core (20) extending from a centerline and including a central core region (22) with an alpha value of less than 2, a first annular core region (24)surrounding the central core region (22), and a second annular core region (26) surrounding the first annular core region (24), wherein the second annular core region (26) has a higher maximum relative refractive index percent ?26MAX than that maximum relative refractive index percent ?24MAX of the first annular core region (24); and (ii) a glass cladding (30) surrounding and in contact with the core (20), the cladding comprising: (a) a first annular cladding region (32) extending from a radius RC3 to a radius R32, (b) a second annular cladding region (34) extending from the radius R32 to a radius R34, (c) a third annular cladding region (36) surrounding the second annular region (34) and extending from the radius R34 to an outermost glass radius R36; wherein the core (20) comprises a maximum relative refractive index percen

Abstract: A single mode optical fiber comprises: (i) a segmented core having at least three segments and (ii) a silica based clad layer surrounding and in contact with the core, the clad layer having a refractive index nc. The first segment has a ?max % in the range of about 0.75 to 1.1, and ?0%?0.6?max %, and an outer radius r1 in the range of about 1.5 to 3.0 ?m. The second segment has a ?2% in the range of 0.00 to 0.15%. The third segment has a ?3% in the range of less than 0.35%, an outer radius r3 in the range of about 7 ?m to 11 ?m, a width w3 in the range of about 1.5 to 3 ?m, and volume V3<7% ?m2. The refractive index profiles of the core segments are selected to provide: zero dispersion wavelength in the range of about 1565 nm to 1600 nm; total dispersion at 1550 nm in the range of about ?6 to ?0.5 ps/nm-km; and dispersion slope at 1550 nm is greater than 0.1.

Abstract: An electrolyte sheet comprising two major surfaces, the electrolyte sheet including regions of differing compositions, so that (i) at least one of these regions has at least 1.5 times higher ionic conductivity than at least one other region; (ii) wherein the at least one other region has 20% more tetragonal phase zirconia per volume than the least one region with higher ionic conductivity; and (iii) when viewed in cross-section taken through said major surfaces at least one of the regions exhibits a non-uniform thickness.

Abstract: According to one example of the invention an optical fiber comprises: (i) a core comprising of Al doped silica having a first index of refraction n1; (ii) at least one silica based cladding surrounding the core and having a second index of refraction n2, such that n1>n2; (iii) a hermetic carbon based coating surrounding said cladding, said hermetic coating being 300 nm-1000 nm thick; and (iv) a second coating surrounding said hermetic coating, said second coating being 5 ?m to 80 ?m thick.

Abstract: A stress reducing mounting for an electrolyte sheet assembly in a solid electrolyte fuel cell is provided that includes a support frame or manifold having an inner edge portion that supports a peripheral portion of the sheet assembly, a seal that affixes an edge of the peripheral portion to the frame or manifold, and a stress reducer disposed around the peripheral portion of the electrolyte sheet and the frame or manifold that reduces tensile stress in the peripheral portion of the electrolyte sheet when the peripheral portion is bent by pressure differentials or thermal differential expansion. The stress reducer is at least one of a convex curved surface on the inner edge portion of the frame or manifold that makes area contact with the peripheral portion when it bends in response to a pressure differential or thermal differential expansion, and a stiffening structure on the sheet peripheral portion that renders the ceramic sheet material forming the peripheral portion more resistant to bending.