Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hollow core optical fiber, the method including positioning at least one glass tube in a glass outer cladding to form a preform precursor, the glass tube comprising a first open end and a second open end, and forming a preform from the preform precursor. The method further including drawing the preform into a hollow core optical fiber and, while drawing the preform, thermally treating the preform to manipulate gas pressure within the glass tube by at least one of (i) heating at least a portion of the preform to increase gas pressure within the glass tube and (ii) cooling at least a portion of the preform to decrease gas pressure within the glass tube.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical fiber, the method includes drawing a first optical fiber preform at a first draw tension to produce a first alkali doped optical fiber and drawing the first optical fiber preform at a second draw tension to produce a second alkali doped optical fiber, measuring the attenuation of the first alkali doped optical fiber and the second alkali doped optical fiber such that the second alkali doped optical fiber has a lower attenuation. Additionally, the method includes setting the draw tension to the second draw tension and drawing a second optical fiber preform at the second draw tension to produce a third alkali doped optical fiber. The third alkali-doped optical fiber has an attenuation at 850 nm of about 1.50 dB/km or less and an attenuation at 1550 nm of about 0.155 dB/km or less.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to various embodiments of methods for making an optical fiber. The methods may include drawing an optical fiber from a hollow-core preform. The hollow-core preform may include an annular support structure with an inner surface defining an interior cavity. The interior cavity may include a tube in direct contact with the inner surface of the annular support structure. The tube may include a wall defining an internal opening, the internal opening having a sealed end. The drawing may include regulating a pressure of the internal cavity to a predetermined pressure.

Abstract: An optical fiber comprising a core region doped with a first alkali dopant and a second alkali dopant. The first alkali dopant has a first average core concentration of C1 and a first diffusivity D1. The second alkali dopant has a second average core concentration of C2 and a second diffusivity D2. An outer cladding region surrounds the core region. The diffusivities D1, D2 of the first and second alkali dopants satisfy the relation D1>D2. The average core concentrations C1, C2 of the first and second alkali dopants satisfy the relation 0.1?C2/C1?1.

Abstract: Foldable apparatus comprise a plurality of first portions and at least one second portion positioned between a corresponding adjacent pair of first portions of the plurality of first portions. Each second portion of the at least one second portion comprises a maximum Young’s modulus ranging from about 500 times to about 500,000 times less than a minimum Young’s modulus of the corresponding adjacent pair of first portions. In some embodiments, the at least one second portion comprises at least five second portions. In some embodiments, each second portion of the at least one second portion comprises a thickness ranging from about 10 micrometers to about 250 micrometers. In some embodiments, each first portion comprises a first neutral plane and each second portion comprises a second neutral plane. In some embodiments, an apparatus bend force ranges from about 0.5 times to about 1 times a total bend force.

Abstract: A method of forming an antimicrobial film, including providing a substrate with a polymer coating disposed thereon, the polymer coating including: an antimicrobial material, an inner surface contacting the substrate, and an outer surface opposite the inner surface; and extracting ions from the antimicrobial material toward the outer surface, such that the outer surface interacts with surface microorganisms. A composition, including a polymer; an antimicrobial material; and at least one of an organic solvent and an additive. The antimicrobial material comprises at least one of copper-containing glass particles, copper oxide particles, copper metal particles, copper salts, copper coordination complexes, cuprite crystals, and a combination thereof. Further, the additive can be selected to increase the oxidation resistance of the antimicrobial material.

Abstract: Polymer-based portions comprise an index of refraction ranging from about 1.49 to about 1.55. In some embodiments, the polymer-based portion comprises the product of curing 45-75 wt % of a difunctional urethane-acrylate oligomer with 25-55 wt % of a difunctional cross-linking agent and optionally a reactive diluent. In some embodiments, the polymer-based portion comprises the product of curing 75-100 wt % of a reactive diluent and optionally one or more a difunctional urethane-acrylate oligomer and/or a difunctional cross-linking agent. Adhesives comprise an index of refraction ranging from about 1.49 to about 1.55. In some embodiments, the adhesive comprises the product of heating 10-35 wt % of a silane-hydride-terminated siloxane and 65-90 wt % of a vinyl-terminated siloxane. In some embodiments, the adhesive comprises the product of irradiating a thiol-containing siloxane and a photo-initiator with at least one wavelength of light that the photo-initiator is sensitive to.

Abstract: Described herein are articles and methods of making articles, for example glass articles, comprising a thin sheet and a carrier, wherein the thin sheet and carrier are bonded together using a modification (coating) layer, for example a coating layer comprising a cationic surfactant or a coating layer comprising an organic salt, and associated deposition methods. The modification layer bonds the thin sheet and carrier together with sufficient bond strength to prevent delamination of the thin sheet and the carrier during high temperature (? 500° C.) processing while also preventing formation of a permanent bond between the sheets during such processing.

Abstract: A method for coating a glass article includes obtaining a glass article; selecting a coating including a fluorinated polyimide, and coating the glass article with the selected coating including the fluorinated polyimide. The fluorinated polyimide having a cohesive energy density less than or equal to 300 KJ/mol, and a glass transition temperature (Tg) less than or equal to 625 K.

Abstract: Polymer-based portions comprise an index of refraction ranging from about 1.49 to about 1.55. In some embodiments, the polymer-based portion comprises the product of curing 45-75 wt % of a difunctional urethane-acrylate oligomer with 25-55 wt % of a difunctional cross-linking agent and optionally a reactive diluent. In some embodiments, the polymer-based portion comprises the product of curing 75-100 wt % of a reactive diluent and optionally one or more a difunctional urethane-acrylate oligomer and/or a difunctional cross-linking agent. Adhesives comprise an index of refraction ranging from about 1.49 to about 1.55. In some embodiments, the adhesive comprises the product of heating 10-35 wt % of a silane-hydride-terminated siloxane and 65-90 wt % of a vinyl-terminated siloxane. In some embodiments, the adhesive comprises the product of irradiating a thiol-containing siloxane and a photo-initiator with at least one wavelength of light that the photo-initiator is sensitive to.

Abstract: Foldable apparatus can comprise a first portion comprising a first edge surface defined between a first surface area and a second surface area opposite the first surface area. Foldable apparatus can comprise a second portion comprising a second edge surface defined between a third surface area and a fourth surface area opposite the third surface area. A polymer-based portion can be positioned between the first blunted edge surface and the second blunted edge surface. In some embodiments, the polymer-based portion can comprise a polymer thickness of about 50 micrometers or less measured from the second surface area and/or the first surface area. In some embodiments, the first edge surface and/or the second edge surface can comprise a blunted edge surface. In some embodiments, a coating can be disposed over the first portion, the second portion and the polymer-based portion.

Abstract: Described herein are articles and methods of making articles, for example glass articles, comprising a thin sheet and a carrier, wherein the thin sheet and carrier are bonded together using a modification (coating) layer, for example a coating layer comprising a cationic surfactant or a coating layer comprising an organic salt, and associated deposition methods. The modification layer bonds the thin sheet and carrier together with sufficient bond strength to prevent delamination of the thin sheet and the carrier during high temperature (? 500° C.) processing while also preventing formation of a permanent bond between the sheets during such processing.

Abstract: Techniques for screening homopolymers, copolymers or blends for fabrication are disclosed. A data repository stores data points. Each data point comprises a structural repeating unit (SRU) and at least one material property value for the SRU. Each SRU is a homopolymer SRU, a copolymer component SRU or a blend component SRU. A machine determines a fingerprint for at least a subset of the SRUs in the data repository. The machine stores, in the data repository, each determined fingerprint in conjunction with a corresponding SRU. The machine generates a quantitative modeling engine to predict material property values, based on SRUs, for homopolymers, copolymers or blends. The quantitative modeling engine is based, at least in part, on the fingerprints. The machine identifies, using the quantitative modeling engine, at least one homopolymer SRU, copolymer SRU set or blend SRU set that has a material property value within a given range.