This application relates generally to an optical fiber for the delivery of infrared light where the polarization state of the light entering the fiber is preserved upon exiting the fiber and the related methods for making thereof. The optical fiber has a wavelength between about 0.9 m and 15 m, comprises at least one infrared-transmitting glass, and has a polarization-maintaining (PM) transverse cross-sectional structure. The infrared-transmitting, polarization-maintaining (IR-PM) optical fiber has a birefringence greater than 10.sup.5 and has applications in dual-use technologies including laser power delivery, sensing and imaging.

A method of making optical fibers that includes controlled cooling to produce fibers having a low concentration of non-bridging oxygen defects and low sensitivity to hydrogen. The method may include heating a fiber preform above its softening point, drawing a fiber from the heated preform and passing the fiber through two treatment stages. The fiber may enter the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1500 C. and 1700 C., may exit the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200 C. and 1400 C., and may experience a cooling rate less than 5000 C./s in the first treatment stage. The fiber may enter the second treatment stage downstream from the first treatment stage at a temperature between 1200 C. and 1400 C., may exit the second treatment stage at a temperature between 1000 C. and 1150 C., and may experience a cooling rate between 5000 C./s and 12,000 C./s in the second treatment stage. The method may also include redirecting the fiber with a fluid bearing device or an air-turn device.

Provided is an image guide fiber that improves image quality while preventing a manufacturing problem. The image guide fiber according to the present disclosure has a numerical aperture NA in the range of 0.70 to 0.90. A linear thermal expansion coefficient difference , which is a value obtained by subtracting a linear thermal expansion coefficient .sub.2 at from 100 to 300 C. of clad glass, from a linear thermal expansion coefficient .sub.1 at from 100 to 300 C. of core glass, is in the range of 310.sup.7/ C. to 1510.sup.7/ C. A glass-transition temperature Tg.sub.1 of the core glass is higher than a glass-transition temperature Tg.sub.2 of the clad glass. A core occupancy area ratio is 25% or more. A pixel density is 0.1 pixel/m.sup.2 or more.

This application relates generally to an optical fiber for the delivery of infrared light where the polarization state of the light entering the fiber is preserved upon exiting the fiber and the related methods for making thereof. The optical fiber has a wavelength between about 0.9 ?m and 15 ?m, comprises at least one infrared-transmitting glass, and has a polarization-maintaining (PM) transverse cross-sectional structure. The infrared-transmitting, polarization-maintaining (IR-PM) optical fiber has a birefringence greater than 10.sup.?5 and has applications in dual-use technologies including laser power delivery, sensing and imaging.

This application relates generally to an optical fiber for the delivery of infrared light where the polarization state of the light entering the fiber is preserved upon exiting the fiber and the related methods for making thereof. The optical fiber has a wavelength between about 0.9 ?m and 15 ?m, comprises at least one infrared-transmitting glass, and has a polarization-maintaining (PM) transverse cross-sectional structure. The infrared-transmitting, polarization-maintaining (IR-PM) optical fiber has a birefringence greater than 10.sup.?5 and has applications in dual-use technologies including laser power delivery, sensing and imaging.

The present invention relates to an optical fiber for an SPR sensor, characterized in that the optical fiber is comprised of a core layer and a cladding layer surrounding the core layer, and the cladding layer is doped with metal nanoparticles.

Control apparatus for the formation of a tube (referred to as clad) and subsequent injection of material into the tube (referred to as core) to create a unified product (referred to as preform) while in a microgravity environment. The apparatus permits control of a plurality of key variables during the manufacturing process including heating, cooling, and holding temperature in various parts of the instrument, keeping a precise rotation schedule, maintaining a dry atmosphere, managing any chemical effluent, and ensuring all surfaces are unreactive.

This ultra-low-loss optical fiber comprises a core having a higher relative refractive index difference than silica and a cladding having a lower relative refractive index difference than silica. The relative refractive index difference of the core with respect to the refractive index of silica is 0.0030 to 0.0055, for example, and the relative refractive index difference of the cladding with respect to the refractive index of silica is 0.0020 to 0.0003. The ultra-low-loss optical fiber has the loss characteristic of simultaneously having optical losses of at most 0.324 dB/km at a wavelength of 1310 nm, at most 0.320 dB/km at a wavelength of 1383 nm, at most 0.184 dB/km at a wavelength of 1550 nm, and at most 0.20 dB/km at a wavelength of 1625 nm. The ultra-low-loss optical fiber is supercooled when the surface temperature of the optical fiber has a temperature range in a glass transition section during drawing.

Methods for producing a multicore fiber comprise a method step in which a component group is reshaped to form the multicore fiber or a pre-form for the multicore fiber, which comprises a hollow cylinder comprising a central bore and a hollow cylinder longitudinal axis, which hollow cylinder comprises a cladding glass region made of cladding glass and a plurality of core glass regions occupied by a core glass, wherein at least part of the central bore is occupied by a glass filling material. In order to provide a method for producing multicore fibers without central signal core, in which the risk of rejects during the completion of the hollow glass cladding cylinder is reduced, a marker element made of marker glass adjacent to the glass filling material is used, which extends along the longitudinal axis of the central bore.

Methods for producing a multicore fiber comprise a method step in which a component group is reshaped to form the multicore fiber or a pre-form for the multicore fiber, which comprises a hollow cylinder comprising a central bore and a hollow cylinder longitudinal axis, which hollow cylinder comprises a cladding glass region made of cladding glass and a plurality of core glass regions occupied by a core glass, wherein at least part of the central bore is occupied by a glass filling material. In order to provide a method for producing multicore fibers without central signal core, in which the risk of rejects during the completion of the hollow glass cladding cylinder is reduced, a marker element made of marker glass adjacent to the glass filling material is used, which extends along the longitudinal axis of the central bore.