With Graded Index Core Or Cladding Patents (Class 385/124)
  • Patent number: 7689083
    Abstract: An optical fiber having at least a first central core segment, said central core segment comprising at least a first region having a width no more than 0.2 ?m over a core delta % of 0.1 or greater. The first core region may also over a delta height of at least 0.15 delta % exhibits a profile volume less than 0.1. Such core segments can facilitate optical fibers which exhibit an L01 acousto-optic effective area which is greater in magnitude than the L02 acousto optic effective area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Steven S Rosenblum
  • Patent number: 7689085
    Abstract: An optical waveguide fiber comprising: (i) a Ge free core having an effective area of 90 ?m2 to 160 ?m2, at a 1550 nm wavelength, and ? value 12???25, said core comprising: (a) a central core region extending radially outwardly from a centerline to a radius r0?2 ?m, and having a relative refractive index percent profile ?0(r) wherein ?0.1% ??0(r) ?0.1%, and wherein the central core region has a maximum relative refractive index, ?0MAX, (b) a first annular core region surrounding and directly adjacent to the central core region and extending to an outer radius r1, wherein 4.8 ?m ?r1?10 ?m, and having a relative refractive index percent profile, ?1(r), and a minimum relative refractive index, ?2MIN, and the relative refractive index measured at a radius r=2.5 ?m being ?0.15??1(r=2.5 ?m) ?0, and ?0MAX ??1(r=2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Snigdharaj Kumar Mishra
  • Patent number: 7689087
    Abstract: A method of inducing birefringence in an optical waveguide is disclosed wherein the waveguide cladding is irradiated with energy of a sufficient intensity so as to induce a stress in the optical waveguide so as to cause a multitude of spaced stress induced regions within the cladding of the optical waveguide such that there are 10 to 5000 spaced regions per mm and wherein the stress induced regions are proximate the core greater than 2 microns distance from the core-cladding interface. This waveguide has numerous uses, for example a fiber sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Industry, Through the Communications Research Centre Canada
    Inventors: Stephen J. Mihailov, Dan Grobnic, Christopher W. Smelser, Robert B. Walker, Ping Lu, Xiaoli Dai, Huimin Ding, Gino Cuglietta
  • Publication number: 20100067858
    Abstract: The specification describes multimode optical fibers with specific design parameters, i.e., controlled refractive index design ratios and dimensions, which render the optical fibers largely immune to moderately severe bends. The modal structure in the optical fibers is also largely unaffected by bending, thus leaving the optical fiber bandwidth essentially unimpaired. Bend performance results were established by DMD measurements of fibers wound on mandrels vs. measurements of fibers with no severe bends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Inventors: Jinkee Kim, George E. Oulundsen, Durgesh Shivram Vaidya, Man F. Yan, Xinli Jiang
  • Publication number: 20100067859
    Abstract: An optical transmission fiber comprises a central core having an index difference ?n1 with an outer optical cladding; a first inner cladding having an index difference ?n2 with the outer cladding; and a second buried inner cladding having an index difference ?n3 with the outer cladding of less than ?3.10?3. The second buried inner cladding moreover contains Germanium in a weight concentration of between 0.5% and 7%. The fiber shows reduced bending and microbending losses whilst exhibiting the optical performances of a standard single-mode fiber (SSMF).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: DRAKA COMTEQ B.V.
    Inventors: Louis-Anne De Montmorillon, Pieter Matthijsse, Pascale Nouchi, Denis Molin, Marianne Bigot-Astruc, Pierre Sillard, Frans Gooijer, Ivo Flammer, Yves Lumineau
  • Patent number: 7680375
    Abstract: A production device and a production method for a grating-type optical component enabling formation of a variety types of FBGs using a single phase mask and an optical component made by the production method or production device for a grating-type optical component are provided. The method involves diffusing at least one of hydrogen or deuterium into an optical fiber and altering the refractive index of the optical fiber by irradiating the fiber with non-interfering UV lamp light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Fujikura Ltd.
    Inventors: Akira Sakamoto, Satoshi Okude
  • Patent number: 7680371
    Abstract: An interface device for performing mode transformation in optical waveguides includes an optical waveguide core for propagating light of a particular wavelength or a plurality of wavelengths. The optical waveguide core terminates in a subwavelength grating configured to change the propagation mode of the light. The subwavelength grating has a pitch sufficiently less than the wavelength of the light to frustrate diffraction. The device can thus serve as an optical coupler between different propagating media, or as an anti-reflective or high reflectivity device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: National Research Council of Canada
    Inventors: Pavel Cheben, Siegfried Janz, Dan-Xia Xu, Jens Schmid, Adam Densmore, Jean Lapointe
  • Patent number: 7676129
    Abstract: Optical waveguide fiber that is bend resistant and single mode at 1260 nm and at higher wavelengths. The optical fiber includes a core with a central core region and an annular core region or, alternatively, a high index core region and a low index core region. The optical fiber also includes a cladding with an annular ring region and an annular outer region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Dana Craig Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li, Pushkar Tandon
  • Publication number: 20100046899
    Abstract: Optical waveguide fiber that is bend resistant and single mode at 1260 nm and at higher wavelengths. The optical fiber includes a core of radius R1 and cladding, the cladding having an annular inner region of radius R2, an annular ring region, and an annular outer region. The annular ring region starts at R2, and the ratio R1/R2 is greater than 0.40.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Inventors: Scott Robertson Bickham, Dana Craig Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li, Snigdharaj Kumar Mishra, Daniel Aloysius Nolan, Pushkar Tandon
  • Publication number: 20100046898
    Abstract: A large mode area fiber amplifier suitable for high power applications includes a core region specifically configured to allow for high power operation while also limiting the amount of SBS that is generated. The composition of the core region is selected to include a dopant (such as aluminum) in selected areas to reduce the acoustic refractive index of the core and limit the spatial overlap between the acoustic and optical fields. The acoustic refractive index is also structured so that the acoustic field is refracted away from the central core area. In one embodiment, the core may comprise a depressed index center portion and surrounding ring core area, with the center portion including the aluminum doping and the ring formed to have a diameter less that the phonon decay length for the operating wavelength(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Inventors: David J. DiGiovanni, Marc D. Mermelstein
  • Publication number: 20100040336
    Abstract: Multimode optical fiber is disclosed herein having a core surrounded by first and second annular cladding regions. The second annular cladding region has a maximum relative refractive index that is at least 0.05% higher than the minimum relative refractive index of the first annular cladding region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Publication date: February 18, 2010
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Ming-Jun Li, Daniel Aloysius Nolan
  • Patent number: 7660505
    Abstract: An optical fiber comprising a flame retardant UV light-curable tight-buffer coating coated onto the fiber, wherein said tight-buffer coating is substantially halogen-free, and has a limiting oxygen index of at least about 22%, and wherein said tight-buffer coating is removable from said fiber with a strip-force of less than about 1800 grams when the fiber is upjacketed with said coating at a line speed of at least 300 m/min.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: DSM IP Assets, B.V.
    Inventors: David M. Chase, Kenneth Dake, Kelly A. Hawkinson, Jack Kelly, Edward J. Murphy
  • Publication number: 20100021118
    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%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Publication date: January 28, 2010
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Joohyun Koh, Ming-Jun Li
  • Patent number: 7646955
    Abstract: An optical multimode fiber including a graded index core and an extended gradient core which has a negative refractive index difference with respect to the cladding. The fiber improves the bandwidth, reliability and complexity of the telecommunication systems that are based on multimode fibers. The fiber reduces the differential mode delay among modes. The fiber thereby allows achieving large bandwidth even in the case when the highest order modes are excited. This has positive effects to the conditions that need to be fulfilled by the components such as optical sources, connectors, fiber couplers, other optical components, cables, etc. The fiber eliminates negative impact of the cladding that allows for reduction of fiber core size and the difference between the cladding and the core and thereby allows for achieving the larger bandwidth of optical fiber at lower fiber production cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventor: Denis Donlagic
  • Publication number: 20100002997
    Abstract: A stretcher fiber includes a core region, inner trench region, ring region, outer trench region, and outer cladding region. The core region has a radius r1, a refractive index n1, and a positive effective refractive index ?n1 with respect to an outer cladding region having an outer radius r0 and a refractive index no, where ?n0 is equal to n1?n0. The inner trench region surrounds the core region and has an outer radius r2, a refractive index n2 less than n0, and a negative effective refractive index ?n2 equal to n2?n0. The ring region surrounds the trench region and has an outer radius r3, a refractive index n3 greater than n0, and a positive effective refractive index ?n3 equal to n3?n0. The outer trench region surrounds the ring region and has an outer radius r4, a refractive index n4 less than n0, and a negative effective refractive index ?n4 equal to n4?n0. The outer cladding region surrounds the outer trench region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: FURUKAWA ELECTRIC NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Lars Gruner-Nielsen
  • Patent number: 7641969
    Abstract: An optical fiber preform is assembled by inserting core rod segments axially end to end inside of a first glass overclad tube having a first, relatively low concentration of a given impurity that contributes to signal attenuation in an optical fiber to be drawn from the preform. The first overclad tube with the contained core rod segments are inserted in a second glass tube having a second concentration of the given impurity which is higher than the first concentration. The wall thickness of the first overclad tube is preferably less than that of the second overclad tube, thus reducing the amount of high purity glass needed to form the first overclad tube and attendant manufacturing costs. The core rod segments may include salvageable remnants from a single long core rod produced, for example, by vapor axial deposition (VAD).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Inventor: Joseph P. Fletcher, III
  • Publication number: 20090323735
    Abstract: An optical fiber for performing pulse stretching, and fiber laser systems and methods using the pulse-stretching fiber are disclosed. The pulse-stretching (PS) fiber has low fourth-order dispersion (dispersion curvature) and a third order dispersion (dispersion slope) with a small negative, nearly zero or small positive value. Two different types of fiber laser systems that use the PS fiber in a manner that achieves optimum performance are described. The PS fiber enables an all-fiber (up to the final pulse compressor) ultra-short pulsed laser systems reaching pulse energies exceeding 100 ?J, average powers exceeding 100 W, and output pulse widths of less than 100 fs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventors: Dmitri Vladislavovich Kuksenkov, Shenping Li, William Allen Wood
  • Publication number: 20090310925
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for birefringent waveguides suitable for optical systems exhibiting polarization dependence such as interferometer sensors including Sagnac interferometric fiber optic gyroscopes (IFOG). The waveguides, for some embodiments, may offer single polarization performance over lengths of about a kilometer or more due to polarization dependent attenuation. According to some embodiments, the waveguides incorporate a pure silica core for resistance to radiation-induced attenuation (RIA).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Inventors: PAUL E. SANDERS, Edward M. Dowd, Andrew S. Kuczma, Trevor W. MacDougall, Brian J. Pike
  • Patent number: 7627219
    Abstract: A large mode area fiber amplifier suitable for high power applications includes a core region specifically configured to allow for high power operation while also limiting the amount of SBS that is generated. The composition of the core region is selected to include a dopant (such as aluminum) in selected areas to reduce the acoustic refractive index of the core and limit the spatial overlap between the acoustic and optical fields. The acoustic refractive index is also structured so that the acoustic field is refracted away from the central core area. In one embodiment, the core may comprise a depressed index center portion and surrounding ring core area, with the center portion including the aluminum doping and the ring formed to have a diameter less that the phonon decay length for the operating wavelength(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: OFS Fitel LLC
    Inventors: David J. DiGiovanni, Marc D. Mermelstein
  • Patent number: 7623747
    Abstract: An optical transmission fiber includes a central core having an index difference ?n1 with an outer optical cladding; a first inner cladding having an index difference ?n2 with the outer cladding; and a second buried inner cladding having an index difference ?n3 with the outer cladding of less than ?3.10?3. The second buried inner cladding moreover contains Germanium in a weight concentration of between 0.5% and 7%. The fiber shows reduced bending and microbending losses whilst exhibiting the optical performances of a standard single-mode fiber (SSMF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Draka Comteq B.V.
    Inventors: Louis-Anne De Montmorillon, Pieter Matthijsse, Pascale Nouchi, Denis Molin, Marianne Bigot-Astruc, Pierre Sillard, Frans Gooijer, Ivo Flammer, Yves Lumineau
  • Patent number: 7620282
    Abstract: Optical waveguide fiber that is bend resistant and single mode at 1260 nm and at higher wavelengths. The optical fiber includes a core of radius R1 and cladding, the cladding having an annular inner region of radius R2, an annular ring region, and an annular outer region. The annular ring region starts at R2, and the ratio R1/R2 is greater than 0.40.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott Robertson Bickham, Dana Craig Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li, Snigdharaj Kumar Mishra, Daniel Aloysius Nolan, Pushkar Tandon
  • Patent number: 7616856
    Abstract: An optical medium has a graded effective refractive index with a high maximum refractive index change. The medium is formed using alternating layers of two or more materials having significantly different refractive indices. The thickness of the layers of at least one of the materials is substantially less than the effective light wavelength of interest. The effective index of refraction in a local region within the medium depends on the ratio of the average volumes of the two materials in the local region. A graded index of refraction is provided by varying the relative thicknesses of the two materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Phosistor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yan Zhou, Seng-Tiong Ho
  • Patent number: 7613374
    Abstract: An optical fiber that transmits a signal light in a fundamental propagation mode has a cutoff wavelength longer than a wavelength of the signal light, a wavelength dispersion of the fundamental propagation mode of ?5 ps/nm/km to ?1 ps/nm/km at a wavelength of 1550 nanometers, an effective core area of the fundamental propagation mode larger than 45 ?m2 at the wavelength of 1550 nanometers, and a dispersion slope of the fundamental propagation mode smaller than 0.03 ps/nm2/km at the wavelength of 1550 nanometers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsunori Imamura
  • Patent number: 7603014
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a universal channel dispersion compensating fiber (CDCF) for WDM channel compensation that provides essentially zero dispersion slope over the wide wavelength band used in state-of-the-art transmission systems. It allows compensation of a large number of channels using a single fiber design. The improved optical fiber of the invention exhibits a dispersion slope at 1550 nm: <0.02 ps/nm2-km, preferably <0.01 ps/nm2-km, and a maximum variation of dispersion per km over the S-, C-, and L- bands of preferably less than 2.0 ps. In a preferred embodiment, the index profile of these fibers comprises a simple three layer design, which includes an up-doped central core, surrounded by a down-doped trench region, further surrounded by an up-doped ring region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: Furukawa Electric North America
    Inventors: Jacob Rathje, Lars Grüner-Nielsen
  • Patent number: 7590324
    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%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Joohyun Koh, Ming-Jun Li
  • Patent number: 7590319
    Abstract: A POF includes an inner core having a refractive index distribution and an outer core provided on periphery of the inner core. A ratio Ra/Rb of an outer diameter of the inner core to the outer core satisfies 0.67?(Ra/Rb)?0.87 such that an outgoing beam from an end of the POF may have a parallel area of at least 200 ?m. Thus a space between the end for exiting the exit light and a light receiving device can be kept at least 200 mm without members or devices for collimating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Mizushima, Yoshisada Nakamura, Katsuya Takemasa, Masataka Sato, Hiroki Takahashi
  • Patent number: 7583878
    Abstract: An optical fiber is made of silica-based glass, and includes a core and a cladding. The optical fiber has a mode field diameter of 5.4 micrometers or larger at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers, transmits light with a wavelength of 1250 nanometers in a single mode, and has a bending loss of 1 dB/turn or smaller at a wavelength of 1300 nanometers when the optical fiber is bent with a curvature radius of 1 millimeter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: The Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryuichi Sugizaki, Iwao Shimotakahara, Harumi Inaba, Takeshi Yagi
  • Patent number: 7580600
    Abstract: A waveguide receiving light which propagates through free space is configured with a coupler and delivery fiber. The coupler, including a GREEN or multimode fiber, has a protective coating and so does the delivery fiber. Upon splicing of the coupler to the delivery fiber, the protective coatings of the respective coupler and delivery fiber are spaced apart exposing thus end regions of the respective coupler and fiber. The exposed regions are covered by a light stripper made of material having a refractive index which is substantially the same as or greater than that one of outer claddings. Accordingly, the light stripper minimizes the amount of light capable of coupling into the protective coatings of the respective delivery and coupler fibers enhancing thus a power handling capabilities of the waveguide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: IPG Photonics Corporation
    Inventors: Dmitry Starodubov, Alex Yusim
  • Patent number: 7570857
    Abstract: A dispersion compensating optical waveguide fiber that includes a core region surrounded by and in contact with a clad layer, wherein the respective refractive index profiles of the core region and the clad layer can be selected to provide, at a wavelength of 1550 nm, a total dispersion of less than ?25 ps/nm/km and a bend loss of less than 0.25 dB per turn on a 20 mm diameter mandrel. The dispersion compensating optical waveguide fiber can also have an effective area of greater than 25 ?m2. The dispersion compensating optical waveguide fiber may include a cladding layer having randomly dispersed voids situated therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Scott Robertson Bickham, Snigdharaj Kumar Mishra
  • Patent number: 7570856
    Abstract: A method and apparatus using a gain medium in the form of a multiply clad gain fiber having an erbium-doped core. In some embodiments, aluminum and germanium are added to the silica core to make ?0 longer than the signal wavelength so the signal incurs normal dispersion. Optionally, a large-mode-area core amplifies primarily only one low-order mode because its NA is reduced by lowering the core's index of refraction (e.g., by adding fluorine) and/or by raising the index of the silica inner core (e.g., by adding germanium). Optionally, a thulium-doped region provides substantial loss at the first Raman-gain peak with respect to the signal wavelength but minimal loss at the signal or pump wavelength. Optionally, an inner cladding with a higher NA contains pump light within the outer boundaries of the cladding while allowing pump light to enter the core. In some embodiments, a triple cladding is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: John D. Minelly, Anping Liu
  • Patent number: 7558456
    Abstract: An optical waveguide device includes a lower cladding layer, a high refractive index region provided on the lower cladding layer, a pair of cores provided on the lower cladding layer on both sides of the high refractive index region, and an upper cladding layer provided on the high refractive index region and the pair of cores. One of the upper and lower cladding layers has a pair of band-shaped parts disposed between the high refractive index region and the pair of cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Mitsumi Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Taketomo Nakane
  • Patent number: 7555220
    Abstract: An optical equalizer/dispersion compensator (E/CDC) comprises an input/output for receiving a multiplexed channel signal comprising a plurality of channel signals of different wavelengths. An optical amplifier may be coupled to receive, as an input/output, the multiplexed channel signals which amplifier may be a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) or a gain clamped-semiconductor optical amplifier (GC-SOA). A variable optical attenuator (VOA) is coupled to the optical amplifier and a chromatic dispersion compensator (CDC) is coupled to the variable optical attenuator. A mirror or Faraday rotator mirror (FRM) is coupled to the chromatic dispersion compensator to reflect the multiplexed channel signal back through these optical components The E/CDC components may be integrated in a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Infinera Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen G. Grubb, Charles H. Joyner, Frank H. Peters, Fred A. Kish, Jr., Drew D. Perkins
  • Patent number: 7551819
    Abstract: An optical coupler includes a first optical port, a second optical port, a third optical port, and a fourth optical port. The optical coupler further includes a photonic-bandgap fiber having a cladding, a first core, and a second core. The cladding includes a material with a first refractive index and regions within the cladding. The regions have a second refractive index lower than the first refractive index. The first core is substantially surrounded by the cladding. The first core is optically coupled to the first optical port and to the second optical port. The second core is substantially surrounded by the cladding. The second core is optically coupled to the third optical port and to the fourth optical port. At least a portion of the first core is generally parallel to and spaced from at least a portion of the second core such that the first core is optically coupled to the second core. The first core, the second core, or both the first core and the second core is hollow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Vinayak Dangui, Michel J. F. Digonnet, Gordon S. Kino
  • Publication number: 20090154888
    Abstract: Bend resistant multimode optical fibers are disclosed herein. Multimode optical fibers disclosed herein comprise a core region and a cladding region surrounding and directly adjacent to the core region, the cladding region comprising a depressed-index annular portion comprising a depressed relative refractive index which is spaced from the core at least 0.5 microns and less than 4 microns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Inventors: John Steele Abbott, III, Scott Robertson Bickham, Dana Craig Bookbinder, Ming-Jun Li, Chukwuemeka Benneth Onuh, Kimberly Ann Wilbert
  • Patent number: 7539358
    Abstract: The surface silicon layer (SOI layer) of an SOI-based optical modulator is processed to exhibit a corrugated surface along the direction of optical signal propagation. The required dielectric layer (i.e., relatively thin “gate oxide”) is formed over the corrugated structure in a manner that preserves the corrugated topology. A second silicon layer, required to form the modulator structure, is then formed over the gate oxide in a manner that follows the corrugated topology, where the overlapping portion of the corrugated SOI layer, gate oxide and second silicon layer defines the active region of the modulator. The utilization of the corrugated active region increases the area over which optical field intensity will overlap with the free carrier modulation region, improving the modulator's efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Lightwire Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Keith Montgomery, Vipulkumar Patel
  • Patent number: 7539381
    Abstract: An optical fiber includes a core and a cladding, said cladding having a refractive index nc a first coating directly contacting the cladding of said fiber, said coating having a thickness of less than 10 microns, said coating having a refractive index delta %=100×(ni2?nc2)/2ni2 less than ?1 percent. In another aspect, an optical fiber includes a core and a cladding, said cladding having a refractive index nc, a first coating directly contacting the cladding of said fiber, said fiber comprising a glass diameter less than 100 microns, said coating having a thickness of at least 8 microns, said coating having a refractive index delta %=100×(ni2?nc2)/2ni2 less than ?1 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Xin Chen, Joohyun Koh, Ming-Jun Li, Anping Liu, Jianguo Wang
  • Patent number: 7539361
    Abstract: An optical fiber (100) utilized as a sensor for measuring a parameter of interest 122 such as temperature, strain, photonic energy intensity, electric field intensity and magnetic field intensity is provided. A first optical cladding layer (104) is disposed on an optically transmissive core (102) that includes one or more optical gratings (114-1). The optical grating(s) (114-1) modifies a propagation path of selected wavelengths of light propagating through the core (102). The optical grating(s) (114-1) also varies the index of refraction of the first optical cladding layer (104). The selected wavelengths of light are determined in part by the index of refraction of the core material 105 as dependent upon a parameter of interest 122 applied to the core material 105 and as varied by the optical grating(s) (114-1). One or more detectors (410, 430, 450, 455) are used for determining the properties of the reflected and/or transmitted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Harris Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy E. Dimmick, Kevin H. Smith, Douglas J. Markos
  • Publication number: 20090129736
    Abstract: A first polymerizable composition is poured into a pipe (30), then is polymerized to be a first layer (13). Next, a second polymerizable composition is poured into the pipe (30) and polymerized to be a second layer (14). These pouring and polymerizing processes are repeated to form an optical medium (10) including n-layers of polymer. Each layer is formed by polymerizing the polymerizable composition comprising same kinds of plural polymerizable contents as those in other polymerizable compositions for other layers. The layer at the inner side is formed from the polymerizable composition including larger ratio of a polymerizable content which has higher refractive index than that of at least another polymerizable content in the same polymerizable composition, compared with the polymerizable composition for forming the adjacent layer at the outer side. A difference of refractive indices between adjacent two polymer layers is at least 5×10?5 but less than 5×10?3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2006
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Inventor: Masataka Sato
  • Publication number: 20090123121
    Abstract: Various embodiments described herein include rare earth doped glass compositions that may be used in optical fiber and rods having large core sizes. Such optical fibers and rods may be employed in fiber lasers and amplifiers. The index of refraction of the glass may be substantially uniform and may be close to that of silica in some embodiments. Possible advantages to such features include reduction of formation of additional waveguides within the core, which becomes increasingly a problem with larger core sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: IMRA AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Liang Dong, Xiang Peng
  • Patent number: 7532797
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber for light pulse expansion in which the ratio (?3/?2) of the third derivative ?3 to the second derivative ?2 is negative, the absolute value thereof is large, and the absolute value of the second derivative ?2 is also large. Such an optical fiber comprises at least a central core portion having a maximum refractive index N1 and an outer diameter 2a, a depressed portion, provided on the outer periphery of the central core portion, having a minimum refractive index N2 and an outer diameter 2b, and a cladding portion, provided on the outer periphery of the depressed portion, having a maximum refractive index N3. The respective maximum refractive indices of the central core portion, the depressed portion and the cladding portion satisfy the relationship “N1>N3>N2”.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Masaaki Hirano
  • Publication number: 20090116800
    Abstract: A large mode area fiber amplifier suitable for high power applications includes a core region specifically configured to allow for high power operation while also limiting the amount of SBS that is generated. The composition of the core region is selected to include a dopant (such as aluminum) in selected areas to reduce the acoustic refractive index of the core and limit the spatial overlap between the acoustic and optical fields. The acoustic refractive index is also structured so that the acoustic field is refracted away from the central core area. In one embodiment, the core may comprise a depressed index center portion and surrounding ring core area, with the center portion including the aluminum doping and the ring formed to have a diameter less that the phonon decay length for the operating wavelength(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: David J. DiGiovanni, Marc D. Mermelstein
  • Patent number: 7529452
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a single mode optical fiber with a reduced PMD (Polarization Mode Dispersion), by drawing an optical fiber preform composed of a core and a clad surrounding the core, includes (a) heating the optical fiber preform to a high temperature using a furnace, and drawing an optical fiber from an outlet of the furnace at a linear velocity (Vf) of 500 mpm or above by means of neck-down drawing; and (b) impressing a spin on the optical fiber by means of a spin impressing device provided on a drawing path of the optical fiber, wherein a maximum spatial frequency of spin (y) impressed on the optical fiber satisfies the following equations Exp ? ( 24 ? t - 12 ) ? y ? - 20 × log ( V f 500 ) + 25 and t=(0.21×CladOval)+(0.04×CoreOval)+(0.17×ECC), where y is a maximum spatial frequency of spin [turns/m], Vf is a drawing velocity [mpm], CladOval is a clad ovality [%], CoreOval is a core ovality [%], and ECC is an eccentricity [?m].
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: LS Cable Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-Sang Park, Soon-Il Sohn, Lae-Hyuk Park
  • Patent number: 7522803
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing an optical element without the need for high vacuum, unlike the thin film deposition methods, and without using a molten salt. More specifically, the invention provides a method of producing an optical element comprising applying a paste containing at least one compound selected from lithium compounds, potassium compounds, rubidium compounds, cesium compounds, silver compounds, and thallium compounds, an organic resin, and an organic solvent to a glass substrate containing an alkali metal component as a glass component and then performing heat treatment at a temperature below the softening temperature of the glass substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignees: Isuzu Glass Co., Ltd., National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
    Inventors: Tatsuya Suetsugu, Norimasa Kominami, Takeshi Ohtani, Naoko Kaga, Hiroaki Yokoi, Minoru Takada, Takashi Tarumi, Toshihiko Einishi, Kohei Kadono
  • Patent number: 7519254
    Abstract: A microbend-induced fiber grating is formed from a section of optical fiber configured to exhibit “splitting” between the resonant wavelengths supported by the TE and TM components of the LP1m mode and the resonant wavelength supported by the odd/even HE2m components of the LP1m mode. Since only the TE and TM components are polarization dependent, by splitting and shifting the resonant wavelengths for these modes away from a system-desired wavelength(s) supported by the odd/even HE modes, a polarization insensitive microbend-induced fiber grating can be formed. A fiber core configuration including a central core region, trench and ring is formed to exhibit a large radial gradient in core refractive index profile, with a significantly steep transition between the ring index and the trench index, to provide the desired splitting between the (undesired, polarization sensitive) TE/TM modes and the HE mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Inventor: Siddharth Ramachandran
  • Patent number: 7519281
    Abstract: For performing a fingerprint security function in an electronic device having a camera unit, a focus of a lens in the camera unit is adjusted to a first focus level when a control signal set indicates a normal photograph mode. Alternatively, the focus of the lens in the camera unit is adjusted to a second focus level different from the first focus level when the control signal set indicates a fingerprint photograph mode. Thus, existing components of the built-in camera are used to minimize cost and time for production of the electronic device that performs the fingerprint security function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dong-Jae Lee, Seo-Kyu Kim
  • Patent number: 7519256
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an optical preform by employing an internal vapor deposition process. The method uses an energy source and a substrate tube, wherein the energy source is movable over the length of the substrate tube between a point of a reversal at the supply side and a point of a reversal at the discharge side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Draka Comteq B.V.
    Inventors: Jelle Philip Terpsma, Rob Hubertus Matheus Deckers
  • Publication number: 20090092365
    Abstract: A bend-loss tolerant multimode fiber transmission system is provided. The system includes: a transmission fiber having a core and a cladding, and a mode-launching system for selectively exciting only a useful portion of the transmission modes, that portion corresponding to high effective refractive indices relative to a refractive index of the cladding the useful portion corresponding to a substantial number of modes. The mode-launching system may include a lead-in fiber, coupled to the transmission fiber, supporting a number of lead-in modes substantially corresponding to the number of transmission modes in the useful portion. The transmission fiber may have a refractive index profile, within a region of its core that is aligned with the lead-in fiber core, which has a shape that matches a refractive index profile shape in the lead-in fiber core. The transmission fiber core may have a graded refractive index profile that is parabolic or nearly parabolic or truncated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Applicant: Optacore D.O.O.
    Inventor: Denis Donlagic
  • Patent number: 7512299
    Abstract: Fiber optic cable systems and methods incorporating a luminescent compound-containing layer to identify cracks. Exemplary embodiments include a fiber optic cable apparatus including a core for receiving laser light emitted from a VCSEL for the detection of faults in the fiber optic cable, a cladding disposed around the core, the cladding having an index of retraction differential with the core thereby allowing containment of light within the core by total internal reflection within the core, a buffer disposed around the cladding, the buffer capable of receiving LED emitted light for the detection of faults in the fiber optic cable, a braiding layer disposed around the buffer and configured to allow LED light to transmit from the buffer, and a jacket disposed around the braiding layer, the jacket having optical properties to receive LED light transmitted down the buffer in response to VCSEL light having been unsuccessfully transmitted down the core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jessica R. Berens, Lad W. Freitag, Joseph Kuczynski, Fraser A. Syme
  • Publication number: 20090080844
    Abstract: A photonic bandgap fiber includes a core formed by a hole at its center, an outer cladding formed around the core, and an inner cladding formed between the core and the outer cladding, in which a two-dimensional Bragg grating is formed by periodically arranging a medium having a different refractive index. An optical fiber is connected to the photonic bandgap fiber, which has wavelength dispersion equal to or larger than 0 ps/nm/km and smaller than wavelength dispersion of the photonic bandgap fiber and D/S value, which is obtained by dividing the wavelength dispersion by dispersion slope, larger than D/S value of the photonic bandgap fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2008
    Publication date: March 26, 2009
    Applicant: The Furukawa Electric Co, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunori Mukasa
  • Patent number: 7505655
    Abstract: A white light-emitting device using a fluorescent fiber includes a blue semiconductor light-emitting element (2) for emitting an excitation light (a), and an optical fiber (3) having one side end face and the other side end face, the excitation light (a) emitted from the blue semiconductor light-emitting element (2) being made incident to the one side end face to be guided to the other side end face. The optical fiber (3) includes a core containing therein a phosphor for emitting wavelength conversion lights by being excited by the excitation light (a) received from the blue semiconductor light-emitting element (2), and a cladding member (3B) having a light emission surface in its peripheral surface, at least a part of optically multiplexed lights, which are obtained by optically multiplexing the wavelength conversion lights and the excitation light, being emitted through the light emission surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Sumita Optical Glass, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Yamazaki, Osamu Ishii, Naruhito Sawanobori, Shinobu Nagahama