Athermalized codoped optical waveguide device

Details Athermalized codoped optical waveguide device Athermalized codoped optical waveguide device

1997-12-11

2001-03-13

Davie, James W. (Department: 2881)

Optical waveguides

Optical fiber waveguide with cladding

Utilizing multiple core or cladding

C385S142000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06201918

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an optical waveguide device in which thermal spectral shifts are inhibited. In particular, this invention relates to athermalized optical waveguiding devices in which the light transmitting properties are insensitive to temperature variations and fluctuations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Optical waveguide devices, such as Mach-Zehnder coupler devices and long period fiber gratings, which are utilized with optical signals as transmitting filters, sensors, and wavelength multiplexing and demultiplexing devices provide good performance at standard room temperatures but exhibit thermal spectral shifts and related poor performance when used in environments where they are exposed to thermal variation and fluctuations in temperatures.
Mach-Zehnder coupler devices and long period fiber gratings can be used in narrow-band, multi-wavelength system applications as transmitting filters. In addition, Mach-Zehnder coupler devices can be used as sensors, and wavelength multiplexing and demultiplexing devices.
In a long period fiber grating a long period grating is formed in the fiber which functions to couple light between the fundamental mode propagating in the waveguide core and a guided cladding mode. Such gratings have an index modulation along the waveguiding axis of the fiber, and may be formed by writing with UV irradiation, etching, or other means of making periodic perturbations.
A Mach-Zehnder coupler device is a form of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. In a Mach-Zehnder coupler device, a coupler splits light into two or more waveguides, typically optical fibers, which have different optical path lengths. A second coupler recombines this light after the light has traveled the different optical path lengths. In addition, Mach-Zehnder coupler devices may be used as demultiplexers and in sensor applications. Variations in the Mach-Zehnder coupler device family includes MultiClad™ Mach-Zehnder coupler devices, fused fiber Mach-Zehnder coupler devices and Mach-Zehnder lattice filters.
It has been found that the use of optical waveguide devices such as long period fiber gratings and Mach-Zehnder coupler devices is limited by their temperature dependence. In such devices, thermal spectral shifts of greater than 0.04 nm/° C. at a transmitting wavelength of 1550 nm limit their application and usefulness in environments of differing temperature.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an optical waveguide that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the compositions, structures, and methods particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described, the invention provides an athermal optical waveguide device in which at least one light transmitting GeO
2
doped silica core is codoped with B
2
O
3
to inhibit thermal spectral shifts induced by changes in temperature.
In another aspect, the invention includes an athermal optical waveguide doped with B
2
O
3
.
A further aspect of the invention is to provide a method of athermalizing an optical waveguide by codoping the waveguide with B
2
O
3
to neutralize the optical waveguide's thermal sensitivity.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description, and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.


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