Abstract: Provided are polymeric or polymeric and glass optical fiber devices which have a tunable wavelength response in a polymeric fiber Bragg grating. An optical fiber is formed having a tubular cladding of a first polymeric or glass composition having a first index of refraction, wherein the cladding has a longitudinal axis. A core of a second polymeric composition is within the cladding and extends along and around the longitudinal axis. The second polymeric composition has a second index of refraction which is greater than the index of refraction of the first polymeric composition. A Bragg grating having a plurality of spaced grating elements is formed in the core. The arrangement then has a means, such as a heater, for changing the spacing between the grating elements.

Abstract: There is provided an article which can be produced at a low cost, is excellent in heat resistance, chemical resistance and dimensional accuracy, and has a predetermined surface shape. In particular there is provided an optical waveguide which has high heat resistance and chemical resistance, a large difference in refractive index, small absorption at a communication wavelength of a near infrared range, reliability and a low loss at an optical communication range. The process for producing the article involves disposing a sol-gel material containing specified silanes between a substrate and a mold in the form of a film so as to make the sol-gel material closely contact the substrate and the mold, and heating to form a gelled film having a surface shape which is the inversion of the surface shape of the mold on the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed are an optical fiber cable comprising an optical fiber and at least one covering layer formed on the outer periphery of the optical fiber, at least one layer of the covering layer being made of a material comprising a resin component containing a polyamide polymer, wherein a flexural modulus E upon displacement of 1 mm is within a range from 2 to 15 (N/mm) and the optical fiber cable passes a flame resistance test in accordance with DIN 72551-5, and an optical fiber cable with a plug using the optical fiber. Therefore, they have excellent flame resistance and good handling properties.

Abstract: A light guide is disclosed and includes a flexible elongated tube having an inner surface and first and second ends. A non-supercritically dried hydrophobic aerogel film is affixed to the inner surface of the tube as a cladding layer, and a fluid core is disposed within the tube. The fluid core has a refractive index greater than the refractive index of the aerogel cladding film.

Abstract: An optical waveguide is disclosed. The waveguide includes a first cladding layer having a first exposed surface portion and a second surface portion generally opposing the first exposed surface portion, and a core disposed on a portion of the second surface portion. The core has a first end and a second end. The waveguide also includes a second cladding layer having a first exposed surface portion and a second surface portion generally opposing the first exposed surface portion. The second surface portion of the second cladding layer is disposed on the core and a remaining portion of the second surface portion of the first cladding layer. An optical waveguide assembly incorporating the optical waveguide and a method of manufacturing the waveguide are also disclosed.

Abstract: Polymer-inorganic particle blends are incorporated into structures generally involving interfaces with additional materials that can be used advantageously for forming desirable devices. In some embodiments, the structures are optical structures, and the interfaces are optical interfaces. The different materials at the interface can have differences in index-of-refraction to yield desired optical properties at the interface. In some embodiments, structures are formed with periodic variations in index-of-refraction. In particular, photonic crystals can be formed. Suitable methods can be used to form the desired structures.

Abstract: An optical waveguide provided on a substrate, which comprises a core for transmitting light and a clad formed around the core, wherein the clad is made of a fluorinated alicyclic structure-containing polymer having functional groups.

Abstract: The invention provides an organic/inorganic hybrid material with a high refractive index at telecommunications wavelengths. Energy curable compositions of the present invention include condensed metal oxide nanoparticles, a high refractive index organometallic coupling agent, an energy curable organometallic coupling agent, and a high refractive index monomer or oligomer. Polymeric materials of the present invention include condensed metal oxide nanoparticles having a mixture of organometallic coupling agents covalently bound to the exterior surface of the nanoparticles and a high refractive index solid polymer matrix, wherein the mixture of organometallic coupling agents includes a high refractive index coupling agent, and a coupling agent covalently bound to the polymer matrix. The materials of the present invention are useful in making optical devices for telecommunications applications.

Abstract: A plastic optical fiber which comprises a core made of a non-crystalline fluoropolymer (a) having substantially no C—H bond, and a clad made of a fluoropolymer (b) having a refractive index lower by at least 0.001 than the fluoropolymer (a), and of which the propagation mode is a single mode.

Abstract: The invention provides organic optical waveguide devices which are lithographically formed and employ polymeric materials having low optical loss, good long term and short term stability, good flexibility and reduced stress or crack induced scattering loss. An optical element has a substrate; a patterned, light transmissive core composition on the surface of the substrate; and a light reflecting cladding composition on the pattern of the core. The core composition has a glass transition temperature of about 80° C. or less and the cladding composition has a glass transition temperature of about 60° C. or less.

Abstract: Optical interconnect layers and methods of fabrication thereof are described. In addition, the optical interconnect layers integrated into devices such as backplane (BP), printed wiring board (PWB), and multi-chip module (MCM) level devices are described. A representative optical interconnect layer includes a first cladding layer, a second cladding layer, one or more waveguides having a waveguide core and an air-gap cladding layer engaging a portion of waveguide core, wherein the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer engage the waveguide.

Abstract: A polyester having less than 50 hydrogen-carbon bonds per 1000 molecular weight units exhibits very low optical loss in the range of wavelengths commonly used for optical communication, and exhibits other physical properties suitable for use as a waveguide core material and/or a waveguide cladding material in optical fibers and/or planar optical devices.

Abstract: A terploymer containing N-halogenated phenyl maleimide units or N-halogenated phenyl bismaleimide units, one or more second units selected from the group consisting of halogenated acrylates, halogenated styrenes, halogenated vinyl ethers, halogenated olefins, halogenated vinyl isocyanates, halogenated N-vinyl amides, halogenated allyls, halogenated propenyl ethers, halogenated methacrylates, halogenated maleates, halogenated itaconates, and halogenated crotonates and one or more third units comprising a monomer containing both a free radically polymerizable group and cationic ring opening polymerizable group, is prepared by radical co-polymerization. The resulting linear plastic polymer group contains a UV, or e-beam curable ring opening polymerizable functional groups. Such plastic polymer is then blended with cationic photoiniator and processed into optical waveguide structures using a hot embossing technique.

Abstract: Waveguides and methods of fabrication thereof are presented. A representative waveguide includes a waveguide core and a cladding layer, where the cladding layer surrounds the waveguide core. The waveguide core and cladding can be made of a host material having a plurality of nano-pores, wherein the nano-pores include a sacrificial material, and the sacrificial material can be selectively decomposed in both the core and cladding layers to form a plurality of nano air-gaps.

Abstract: An object of the disclosed technology is to realize, at low cost, an optical communication module capable of high-speed operation and having an excellent EMC property.

Abstract: An optical waveguide provided on a substrate, which comprises a core for transmitting light and a clad formed around the core, wherein the clad is made of a fluorinated alicyclic structure-containing polymer having functional groups.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical polyimide compound defined by the following formula in an optical high polymer material: wherein X is Cl, Br, oxo-halide, or fully halogenated alkyl; A is a divalent aromatic or halogenated aromatic moiety; and Z is a tetravalent moiety which may be a partly or fully fluorinated aromatic ring, a partly or fully chlorinated aromatic ring, a partly or fully fluorinated cycloaliphatic group, a partly or fully chlorinated aliphatic group, or combinations thereof connected via hetero atoms.

Abstract: Novel attenuators for use in single-channel applications are disclosed. The attenuators include a crosslinked siloxane copolymer composition, prepared by crosslinking a vinyl-terminated dimethylsiloxane-diphenylsiloxane copolymer with a silane crosslinking agent in the presence of a platinum catalyst. The crosslinked copolymer overlies a portion of a side-polished optical fiber or tapered optical fiber. Optical energy propagating through the fiber can be extracted when the refractive index of the crosslinked material is varied about that of the optical fiber. The attenuators are useful in single-channel applications, such as the ever-popular 1310 nm and 1550 nm wavelengths.

Abstract: A polyester having less than 50 hydrogen-carbon bonds per 1000 molecular weight units exhibits very low optical loss in the range of wavelengths commonly used for optical communication, and exhibits other physical properties suitable for use as a waveguide core material and/or a waveguide cladding material in optical fibers and/or planar optical devices.

Abstract: In a polymer waveguide comprising a cladding layer with a low refractive index and a core layer with a high refractive index of a substantially rectangular section covered with the cladding layer, the core layer and a side cladding layer constituting the cladding layer in its portion located on both sides of the core layer are formed of a material comprising a branched polysilane compound containing a silicone compound. By virtue of this constitution, the polymer waveguide has a low loss and causes no significant change in optical characteristics upon a change in ambient temperature.

Abstract: Vinyl ether compounds having the formula: R—O—X—O—CH═CH2 wherein R is a radical having the formula: R1—CFH—CF2— or R1—CF═CF2—, wherein R1 is an unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic radical, an unsubstituted or substituted cyclic aliphatic radical, an unsubstituted or substituted aromatic radical, an unsubstituted or substituted araliphatic radical, or an unsubstituted or substituted heterocyclic radical, and X is an unsubstituted or substituted aliphatic radical, an un-substituted or substituted cyclic aliphatic radical, an unsubstituted or substituted aromatic radical, an unsubstituted or substituted araliphatic radical, or an unsubstituted or substituted heterocyclic radical. Curable compositions containing the vinyl ether compounds and methods in which substrate coating layers of the vinyl ether compositions are cured, particularly on optical devices, are also disclosed, as well as polymers polymerized from the vinyl ether compounds.

Abstract: A fluorinated polymerizable compound useful for fabricating planar optical devices includes at least one fluorinated alkylene or alkylene ether moiety and at least two terminal acrylate moieties, each terminal acrylate moiety being connected to one of the fluorinated alkylene or fluorinated alklene ether moieties by an ester linking group. The fluorinated polymerizable compounds, or macromers, of this invention are useful for forming optical components exhibiting a refractive index comparable to that of glass fiber waveguides, while also exhibiting very low absorption losses. Polymerizable compositions suitable for preparing optical components can be prepared by combining the macromers of the invention with a photoinitiator. Conventional optical monomers may also be employed, if desired.

Abstract: An optical fiber, a mixture solution of the photosetting resins polymerizing in two different polymerization types, and a transparent container are prepared. The photosetting resins are not copolymerized, and have different activation wavelengths of the photopolymerization initiators for hardening. Employing a combination in which the activation wavelength of a photopolymerization initiator for a photosetting resin with higher refractive index after hardening is longer than the activation wavelength of a photopolymerization initiator for a photosetting resin with lower refractive index after hardening, a core portion can be only formed by hardening the photosetting resin with higher refractive index due to a difference between two wavelengths. Thereafter, a clad portion can be formed by hardening two kinds of photosetting resins, where by an optical transmission device can be manufactured.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a conjugated poly(arylene vinylene) copolymer for use in a luminescent device, which comprises: (1) providing a precursor polymer comprising units of general formula in which Ar is substituted or unsubstituted arylene, L is a leaving group, R1 and R2 are each independently H, alkyl, alkoxy, aryl or an electron-withdrawing group, and n is an integer; (2) reacting the precursor polymer with a reactant comprising a carboxylate, an aldehyde, a ketone, a sulphonate, a thioate, a disulphide, a xanthate, an amine, a pyridine, a hydrazide, a phenoxide, an alcohol with a boiling point above 100° C.

Abstract: A thermally cured polyimide is provided, and in particular a crosslinked polyimide, comprising a fluorenyl diamine and comprising an aromatic ring having at least one C1-C10 branched or unbranched alkyl substituent, where the alkyl substituent includes a benzylic hydrogen. The present invention provides a crosslinked polyimide made by a process comprising the step of crosslinking a polyimide comprising diamines comprising pendent fluorenyl groups and comprising aromatic rings having at least one C1-C10 branched or unbranched alkyl substituent, the alkyl substituent including a benzylic hydrogen, by raising the temperature of said polyimide above its glass transition temperature.

Abstract: An optical device having at least two optically transparent optical parts which are bonded together with an optically transparent adhesive layer. The adhesive layer is formed from a matrix containing silicon, titanium, zirconium, aluminum or germianium, and oxygen atoms. At least part of the atoms is bonded to other atom(s) through a polyvalent hydrocarbon group and directly bonded a monovalent hydrocarbon group. The refractive index value of the adhesive layer approximates to the refractive index values of the at least two optically transparent optical parts. An adhesive composition for bonding optical parts and a method of bonding optical parts are also proposed.

Abstract: A decorative optical fiber includes a flexible thread made of an optical medium, a substantially transparent cladding encasing the flexible thread of the optical medium, and a protective covering encasing the cladding. The cladding is made of a material having a lower index of refraction than that of the optical medium, and the protective covering is substantially transparent and has a rugged outer face.

Abstract: An optical waveguide comprising a first polymeric layer and a second polymeric layer adjacent to the first polymeric layer and a method for making the optical waveguide are disclosed. The first polymeric layer has a refractive index of n1 and solubility S1 in a first solvent. The second polymeric layer has a refractive index of n2 and solubility S2 in the first solvent. In the optical waveguide, n1≠n2 and S1/S2 is at least 5.

Abstract: This invention is predicated upon applicants' discovery that UV-induced gratings can be formed through polymer coatings that include conjugated double bonds and aromatic moieties. Coatings with low concentrations of aromatic-containing free-radical photoinitiators provide both reasonable curing speeds and sufficient transparency that gratings can be written through them. Moreover some of these aromatic-containing free-radical photoinitiators act synergistically with non-aromatic ketone photoinitiators. Advantageous aromatic-containing free-radical photoinitiator concentrations are in the range 0.01%-0.1% and preferably in the range 0.02% to 0.05%. Advantageous polymer coatings are acrylate-based coatings.

Abstract: This invention discloses a manufacturing process for preparing sol-gel optical waveguides comprising the steps of solution preparation, an optical waveguide photoresist module process, and optical waveguide molding and sintering. The solution is prepared by mixing water and alcohol to form an alcoholic solution with a properly adjusted pH value followed by mingling with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) at room temperature. The optical waveguide photoresist module process comprises the steps of soft baking, exposure, development, washing by deionized water, drying by a nitrogen gun, and hard baking. The optical waveguide molding and sintering comprises the steps of spinning, sintering, and photoresist module removal.

Abstract: An element of a gigahertz electronic device is provided comprising a polyimide selected to have an imide equivalent weight of 375 or greater. The polyimide preferably has a dielectric loss at 12.8 GHz of 0.009 or less and a Tg of 260° C. or greater. Such elements include circuit substrates and antennas.

Abstract: The present invention relates to fluorinated polyethers having a fluorinated aliphatic group at a main chain as represented by the formula (1), as well as a waveguide fabricated using the same: 1

Abstract: Provided is a radiation-curable, glass optical fiber coating composition which when suitably cured exhibits resistance to attack from hydrocarbon gel cable filing material.

Abstract: An optical waveguide subsystem, and process, having at least one cladding in contact with at least one core. The cladding has a refractive index less than the refractive index of the core. Either the cladding or core contains a crosslinked polyimide that is substantially meta-linked. The polyimide has an absolute birefringence of from about 0.01 to about zero.

Abstract: An optical attenuator and method, the optical attenuator having a core which is covered by a cladding material with a section of polymer cladding of an identifiable length. The polymer cladding has an index of refraction that varies with temperature. A thermal device such as a thermoelectric heater or cooler is placed adjacent to the polymer cladding to control the temperature of the cladding. The index of refraction of the polymer cladding is manipulated by changing its temperature by supplying power to the thermal device. The index of refraction of the polymer cladding will range from values below and above the index of refraction of the core material. A light wave transmitted through the core will experience a degree of attenuation due to leakage into the polymer cladding material when the index of refraction of the polymer cladding is equal to or greater than the index of refraction of the core. The light wave may be either attenuated or blocked entirely.

Abstract: An optical waveguide is produced by forming on a substrate a waveguide layer and/or a clad layer containing, as their main ingredient, polyimide with a fluorine substitution rate of 30% or higher (thus as a fluorinated polyimide layer), with a primer layer laid in between that contains, as its main ingredient, polyimide with a fluorine substitution rate of 10% or lower (including 0%). This improves adherence of the fluorinated polyimide layer to the substrate and prevents the fluorinated polyimide layer from peeling off the substrate. For more effective prevention of such peeling-off and of warping of the substrate, the primer layer is preferably formed to have a thickness of 0.1 to 20 &mgr;m. The primer layer may contain a coupling agent.

Abstract: A fast curing radiation-curable composition useful as coating compositions for inner and outer primary coatings, inks, ribbons other matrix material coating layers for coating and surrounding optical fibers. The improved radiation-curable compositions, having a propoxylated monomer or oligomer component, demonstrate unexpectedly fast cure speeds while providing strong adhesion characteristics to a variety of substrates and can also be used as a general radiation-curable adhesive or can be adapted for use in the specialized process of digital versatile disk (DVD) production.

Abstract: A graded index type optical fiber having a multilayer structure comprising a plurality of concentrically arranged layers formed of (co)polymers selected from the group consisting of two or more homopolymers HP1, HP2, . . . , HPn derived from monomers M1, M2, . . . , Mn, respectively, and having refractive indices decreasing in that order, and one or more binary copolymers CP derived from these monomers, the multilayer structure being such that a mixed layer consisting of the (co)polymers constituting two adjacent layers is formed therebetween, and the refractive index is highest at the center and decreases gradually toward the outer periphery. This optical fiber can be continuously formed by feeding the (co)polymers to a multilayer concentric circular nozzle and thereby extruding them through the nozzle, and allowing the polymers to interdiffuse between adjacent layers of the fiber.

Abstract: The invention provides organic optical waveguide devices which are lithographically formed and employ polymeric materials having low optical loss, good long term and short term stability, good flexibility and reduced stress or crack induced scattering loss. An optical element has a substrate; a patterned, light transmissive core composition on the surface of the substrate; and a light reflecting cladding composition on the pattern of the core. The core composition has a glass transition temperature of about 80° C. or less and the cladding composition has a glass transition temperature of about 60° C. or less.

Abstract: A glass component in an optical system, which may be a lazing or an optical amplifying medium, comprising a silicate base glass doped with at least two Group III B elements, the glass, and a method of preventing clustering of a rare earth metal ion in the glass.

Abstract: Molded products may be made by a process comprising preparing a structure comprising a block copolymer or a graft copolymer having two or more phases, wherein each phase is comprised of polymer chains, decomposing the polymer chains of at least one phase of the structure, and cleaning the structure with a supercritical fluid or a sub-critical fluid, thereby removing the decomposed polymer chains from the structure. Molded products made by this method have very low levels of residual solvents, can be manufactured at a relatively low temperature in a short period of time without using large amounts of organic solvents, and without discharging large amounts of liquid waste.

Abstract: An optical waveguide having a clad and a core, the core being made of polymer material containing a repetitive unit having formula (1), (2) or (3): 1

Abstract: Optical fiber coatings are disclosed having excellent ribbon stripping and adhesion behavior. The coatings are radiation-curable. The excellent stripping and adhesion behavior can be achieved by several means which include by use of additives, by use of radiation-curable oligomers having higher molecular weight, or by use of coatings having certain thermal properties. Combination of means can be employed. Stripping behavior can be measured by crack propagation and fiber friction measurements.

Abstract: An optical conductor comprises a fiber, in particular a glass fiber, surrounded by a protective polymer material of the UV-curable type. The protective polymer material contains a water-absorbing additive, preferably a carbodiimide, a poly-carbodiimide, or a polyurea. When the additive is based on carbodiimide, it opposes photodegradation.

Abstract: A liquid curable resin composition comprising (1) a (meth)acrylate polymer having a weight average molecular weight relative to polystyrene standard of at least about 5,000, (2) a ring-opening polymerizable monomer containing at least one epoxy group, and (3) a cationic photopolymerization initiator is disclosed. The composition produces cured products which exhibit superior heat resistance, excellent mechanical strength, and superb adhesive characteristics, and is suitable for use as a photo-curable adhesive, a photo-curable sealing material, a resin for optical three-dimensional molding, and a coating material for optical fibers, and optical fiber ribbon matrix.

Abstract: A radiation curable secondary coating composition for forming a secondary polymeric coating having good hydrophobic properties on a primary polymeric coating on an optical fiber is disclosed. The secondary coating composition is a mixture of a radiation curable composition capable of forming a polymeric coating, such as aliphatic difunctional and trifunctional urethane oligomers, and a hydrophobic agent selected from the group consisting of an aqueous dispersion of negatively charged hydrophobic resin particles, fluoropropylmethylcyclotrisiloxane, fluoropropylmethylsiloxarediol, trifluoropropylsiloxypolydimethylsiloxane, polybutadiene diacrylate and polybutadiene dimethacrylate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lightguide having a liquid core and a tubular cladding made from a plastic material, characterized in that the inner surface of the tubular cladding is coated with a layer containing the copolymer consisting of the components TFE and HFP, or TFE and PMVE wherein the weight proportion of the HFP or the perfluoroalkyl vinyl component in the copolymer may vary between 25% and 50%.

Abstract: A copolymer containing N-(halogenated phenyl) maleimide units or N-(halogenated phenyl) bismaleimide units and one or more second units selected from halogenated acrylates, halogenated styrenes, halogenated vinyl ether, halogenated olefins, halogenated vinyl isocyanates, halogenated N-vinyl amides, halogenated allyls, halogenated propenyl ethers, halogenated methacrylates, halogenated maleates, halogenated itaconates, and halogenated crotonates, is useful to form optical devices

Abstract: A liquid curable resin composition for optical fibers comprising a polymer (a) having a number average molecular weight of 5,000 or more and containing at least two types of recurring ethylenic units, of which one type has a substituent group containing an ethylenically unsaturated group and the second type is substituted by a group —COOR3 (wherein R3 is a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 1-30 carbon atoms), an aryl group, a cyano group, an alkyl group having 1-10 carbon atoms or by one or more halogen atoms.

Abstract: This invention provides an improved coating composition for glass substrates that comprises a tetrasubstituted compound. The introduction of a tetrasubstituted compound in a coating composition for a glass substrate, and in particular an optical fiber, acts to delay the rate of deterioration of the glass or optical fiber due to moisture, and improves adhesion between the glass substrate and the coating composition. The introduction of a tetrasubtituted compound into a polymeric coating composition also improves the interlayer adhesion when more than one coating is applied to a glass substrate. This invention further relates to an outer primary coating composition or matrix material that comprises an acid functional ethylenically unsaturated monomer.