Radiation pumped heater/heating element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11434162-B2
Application number	US-201615769748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2016
Priority date	Oct 21, 2015
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A radiation pumped heater includes a ceramic substrate which is heated by a laser beam to a steady state temperature. An optical fiber is heated by conduction and radiation emitted from the ceramic substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing an optical fiber comprising:
heating a portion of an optical fiber with a radiation pumped heater, the heater comprising a ceramic substrate which is heated by a laser beam to a steady state temperature, and wherein said optical fiber is heated by conduction and radiation emitted from the ceramic substrate;
drawing the optical fiber to reduce a diameter of the heated portion;
holding said optical fiber with a proximal holder and a distal holder located on opposite sides of the heated portion, and moving said proximal and distal holders to draw the heated portion of said fiber to the reduced diameter, and wherein said proximal holder is moved at a different velocity than said distal holder at some stage in the method.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein after heating the optical fiber to a temperature that permits drawing the fiber to a reduced diameter, said proximal and distal holders are initially moved in the same direction at the same velocity, and afterwards, said proximal holder is slowed and said distal holder moves faster than said proximal holder.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said holders move in the same direction.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said holders move in different directions.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said ceramic substrate is heated by another laser beam on a side of said optical fiber opposite to said first-mentioned laser beam.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein said laser beams are symmetrically located on opposite sides of said optical fiber.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said laser beam is emitted via a safety shutter and a half-wavelength plate to a variable zoom telescope, and said laser beam passes from said telescope to a cylindrical lens and is then reflected by a mirror to a work area of said optical fiber.

8. A method for processing an optical fiber comprising:
heating a portion of an optical fiber with a radiation pumped heater, the heater comprising a ceramic substrate, and wherein said optical fiber is heated by conduction and radiation emitted from the ceramic substrate; and
drawing the optical fiber to reduce a diameter of the heated portion;
wherein said ceramic substrate is heated by a pair of laser beams on opposite sides of said optical fiber to a steady state temperature.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said laser beams are symmetrically located on opposite sides of said optical fiber.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein for each of said laser beams, said laser beam is emitted via a safety shutter and a half-wavelength plate to a variable zoom telescope, and said laser beam passes from said telescope to a cylindrical lens and is then reflected by a mirror to a work area of said optical fiber.

Assignees

• Soreq Nucelar Res Center
• Soreq Nuclear Res Ct

Inventors

• Goldring Sharone

Classifications

• H05B1/023

  Industrial applications · CPC title

• C03B37/15

  with heat application, e.g. for making optical fibres (fusion-splicing of light guides G02B6/255; treatment of light guides to shape optical elements {G02B6/2835, G02B6/2856}) · CPC title

• C03B23/043

  Heating devices specially adapted for re-forming tubes or rods in general, e.g. burners · CPC title

• H05B3/0038 Primary

  for industrial applications · CPC title

• B23K26/50

  Working by transmitting the laser beam through or within the workpiece · CPC title