Ferrule assemblies and coupling apparatus as used to form optical interface devices for photonics systems are disclosed. The ferrule assemblies include a ferrule made of a glass substrate and a pair of spaced apart alignment members, which can be made of a glass or a polymer. The ferrule assembly supports an array of optical fibers. The coupling apparatus is incorporated into a photonic integrated circuit assembly that has optical waveguides and that includes spaced apart alignment members, which can also be made of a glass or a polymer. The ferrule assembly and the coupling apparatus have complementary alignment features that align the optical waveguides and the optical fibers when forming the optical interface device. The alignment members have a geometry that allows them to be used to form both the ferrule assemblies and the coupling apparatus.

Layered glass structures and fabrication methods are described. The methods include depositing soot on a dense glass substrate to form a composite structure and sintering the composite structure to form a layered glass structure. The dense glass substrate may be derived from an optical fiber preform that has been modified to include a planar surface. The composite structure may include one or more soot layers. The layered glass structure may be formed by combining multiple composite structures to form a stack, followed by sintering and fusing the stack. The layered glass structure may further be heated to softening and drawn to control linear dimensions. The layered glass structure or drawn layered glass structure may be configured as a planar waveguide.

Layered glass structures and fabrication methods are described. The methods include depositing soot on a dense glass substrate to form a composite structure and sintering the composite structure to form a layered glass structure. The dense glass substrate may be derived from an optical fiber preform that has been modified to include a planar surface. The composite structure may include one or more soot layers. The layered glass structure may be formed by combining multiple composite structures to form a stack, followed by sintering and fusing the stack. The layered glass structure may further be heated to softening and drawn to control linear dimensions. The layered glass structure or drawn layered glass structure may be configured as a planar waveguide.

The micro-optical systems disclosed herein employ a glass tube having a body, a front end, a back end, an outer surface, and a bore that runs through the body between the front and back ends and that has a bore axis. The outer surface has a maximum outer dimension between 0.1 mm and 20 mm and includes at least one flat side. At least one optical element is inserted into and operably disposed and secured within the bore. The micro-optical assemblies are formed by securing one or more micro-optical systems to a substrate at the flat side of the glass tube. The glass tube is formed by a drawing process that allows for the dimensions of the glass tube to be small and formed with relatively high precision. An example of a compact WDM micro-optical assembly that employs micro-collimators is disclosed.

The micro-optical systems disclosed herein employ a glass tube having a body, a front end, a back end, an outer surface, and a bore that runs through the body between the front and back ends and that has a bore axis. The outer surface has a maximum outer dimension between 0.1 mm and 20 mm and includes at least one flat side. At least one optical element is inserted into and operably disposed and secured within the bore. The micro-optical assemblies are formed by securing one or more micro-optical systems to a substrate at the flat side of the glass tube. The glass tube is formed by a drawing process that allows for the dimensions of the glass tube to be small and formed with relatively high precision. An example of a compact WDM micro-optical assembly that employs micro-collimators is disclosed.

A glass atomizer includes an atomizer housing, wherein: a diameter of the atomizer housing is 5.8-6.2 mm; a nozzle is formed at a top part of the atomizer housing; an outlet of the nozzle has a diameter of 2.4-2.5 mm; a limiting convex member is arranged at a bottom part of the atomizer housing; a conical hollow connection member is formed at an inner wall of the bottom part of the atomizer housing; a top part of the connection member extends upward and forms an atomizer core tube; the atomizer core tube and the atomizer housing are concentric; an inlet tube is integrally formed at a side of the atomizer housing; and a groove is opened at an outer wall of the inlet tube.

To prevent constriction machining from reducing usage efficiency of a glass rod, provided is a glass rod machining method including softening of softening a portion of the glass rod by heating the portion of the glass rod, and constricting of forming a constricted shape in the glass rod by moving one end of the glass rod relative to the other end of the glass rod at a constriction speed satisfying a condition that a constriction load acting as a tensile force on the glass rod does not extend beyond a predetermined range. In this method, the constricting includes, when constriction speed increases, making an adjustment to decrease a heating temperature of the glass rod. This method may include determining of determining the heating temperature of the glass rod during the constricting by referencing a heating temperature table in which heating temperatures corresponding to the constriction speed are stored in advance.

To prevent constriction machining from reducing usage efficiency of a glass rod, provided is a glass rod machining method including softening of softening a portion of the glass rod by heating the portion of the glass rod, and constricting of forming a constricted shape in the glass rod by moving one end of the glass rod relative to the other end of the glass rod at a constriction speed satisfying a condition that a constriction load acting as a tensile force on the glass rod does not extend beyond a predetermined range. In this method, the constricting includes, when constriction speed increases, making an adjustment to decrease a heating temperature of the glass rod. This method may include determining of determining the heating temperature of the glass rod during the constricting by referencing a heating temperature table in which heating temperatures corresponding to the constriction speed are stored in advance.

A reforming mandrel and a method of use reforming mandrel to reform glass are described. The reforming mandrel comprises an upstream portion, a downstream portion and an at least partially hollow interior. The upstream portion may have an intake inlet for fluid flow. The downstream portion may be axially spaced from the upstream portion. The downstream portion may have a flattened cross-section defined by flattened peripheral portions joined by curved peripheral portions. At least one curved peripheral portion may be made of porous material resistant to a temperature of at least 1000 C. The at least partially hollow interior may communicate with the intake inlet and the porous material.

An improved optical flow cell adapted for use in a flow cytometer for differentiating formed bodies (e.g., blood cells) in liquid suspensions. Preferably manufactured by assembling, aligning, and optically joining at least two elements made from transparent material, the improved flow cell has a seamless internal flow channel of preferably non-circular cross-section in a cylindrical first element through which prepared samples can be metered and an independent second element having an external envelope suited to acquisition of optical parameters from formed bodies in such suspensions, the second element being conforming and alignable to the first element so that non-axisymmetric refractive effects on optical characterizing parameters of formed bodies passing through the flow channel in the first element may be minimized before the two elements are optically joined and fixed in working spatial relationship. Preferably, such first element is formed by a glass-drawing process in which a relatively large glass preform having a rectilinear internal channel of a desired cross-sectional shape is heated and drawn to achieve a desired cross-sectional area of reduced size. Preferably, such second element is provided by through-boring a suitable commercial optical component to conform to such first element. Also disclosed are preferred methods for differentiating formed bodies using the flow cell of the invention.