Optical fiber containing an alkali metal oxide and methods and apparatus for manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9250386-B2
Application number	US-201414314394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2014
Priority date	Aug 29, 2003
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is an optical fiber having a core with an alkali metal oxide dopant in an peak amount greater than about 0.002 wt. % and less than about 0.1 wt. %. The alkali metal oxide concentration varies with a radius of the optical fiber. By appropriately selecting the concentration of alkali metal oxide dopant in the core and the cladding, a low loss optical fiber may be obtained. Also disclosed are several methods of making the optical fiber including the steps of forming an alkali metal oxide-doped rod, and adding additional glass to form a draw perform. Preferably, the draw preform has a final outer dimension (d 2 ), wherein an outer dimension (d 1 ) of the rod is less than or equal to 0.06 times the final outer dimension (d 2 ). In a preferred embodiment, the alkali metal oxide-doped rod is inserted into the centerline hole of a preform to form an assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber, comprising:
a core comprising GeO 2 and an alkali metal oxide selected from the group consisting of K 2 O, Na 2 O, LiO2, Rb 2 O, Cs 2 O and mixtures thereof; and
wherein a refractive index profile of the optical fiber is selected to provide a total dispersion greater than about 1 ps/nm/km at 1550 nm, and a dispersion slope less than about 0.10 ps/nm 2 /km at the zero dispersion wavelength.

2. The optical fiber according to claim 1 wherein the total dispersion is greater than about 6 ps/nm 2 /km at 1550 nm.

3. The optical fiber according to claim 1 further comprising an attenuation at 1550 nm less than about 0.18 dB/km.

4. The optical fiber according to claim 1 further comprising an attenuation at 1550 nm less than about 0.17 dB/km.

Assignees

• Corning Inc

Inventors

• Anderson James Gary
• Bookbinder Dana Craig
• Chacon Lisa Carine
• Coffey Calvin Thomas
• Ellison Adam James
• Gausman Gregory Gerard
• Khrapko Rostislav Radiyevich
• Logunov Stephan Lvovich
• Murtagh Michael Thomas
• Osterhout Clinton Damon
• Sen Sabyasachi
• Whedon William Anthony

Classifications

• C03B37/01807

  Reactant delivery systems, e.g. reactant deposition burners · CPC title

• G02B6/03694

  Multiple layers differing in properties other than the refractive index, e.g. attenuation, diffusion, stress properties · CPC title

• Y10T428/294

  including metal or compound thereof [excluding glass, ceramic and asbestos] · CPC title

• C03B37/01466

  Means for changing or stabilising the diameter or form of tubes or rods (C03B37/01861 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C03B2201/12

  doped with fluorine (C03B2201/14 takes precedence) · CPC title