Optical component including nanoparticle heat sink

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9551839-B2
Application number	US-201514674168-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Mar 31, 2015
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

An optical fiber assembly includes at least one optical component configured to deliver light from a first end to a second end opposite the first end. The at least one optical component includes at least one localized heat-sensitive area that emits increased temperatures with respect to remaining areas of the at least one optical fiber in response to light traveling through the localized heat-sensitive area. The optical fiber assembly further includes a nanoparticle heat sink that contacts the optical component and that completely surrounds the localized heat-sensitive area such that the nanoparticle heat sink dissipates heat from the at least one optical component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber assembly, comprising:
at least one optical component configured to deliver light from a first end to a second end opposite the first end, the at least one optical component including at least one localized heat-sensitive area that emits increased temperatures with respect to remaining areas of the at least one optical fiber in response to light traveling through the localized heat-sensitive area; and
a nanoparticle heat sink contacting the at least one optical component and completely surrounding the at least one localized heat-sensitive area, the nanoparticle heat sink configured to dissipate heat from the at least one optical component,
wherein the at least one optical component includes a loose-end portion and a core portion, the loose-end portion including a plurality of loose optical fibers each having a respective loose fiber core disposed therein, and the core portion including a plurality of bundled fiber cores disposed therein, and wherein each loose fiber core is spliced to a respective bundled fiber core.

2. The optical fiber assembly of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticle heat sink covers at least a portion of the loose-end portion and at least a portion of the core end.

3. The optical fiber assembly of claim 2 , wherein a portion of the thermally conductive nanoparticles are disposed in voids between the loose optical fibers.

4. The optical fiber assembly of claim 3 , wherein the loose-end nanoparticle heat sink and the core nanoparticle heat sink each include a plurality of nanoparticles, the nanoparticles selected from a group comprising copper (Cu), a nickel-cobalt ferrous alloy, and diamond.

5. The optical fiber assembly of claim 4 , wherein the nanoparticles have a first thermal coefficient of expansion that matches a second thermal coefficient of expansion corresponding to the material of the first and second optical fibers.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Rollinger Andrew R

Classifications

• G02B6/36 Primary

  Mechanical coupling means (G02B6/255, G02B6/42 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/02042

  Multicore optical fibres · CPC title

• G02B6/2558

  Reinforcement of splice joint · CPC title

• G02B6/3814

  with cooling or heat dissipation means · CPC title

• H05K7/20418

  the radiating structures being additional and fastened onto the housing · CPC title