A glass cane is manufactured by filling a glass tube with a combination of glass structures forming a cross-sectional pattern within the glass tube, to form a preform. The preform is attached to a draw assembly, such as a draw tower. The draw assembly is operated o draw the preform to a reduced-diameter glass cane by passing the preform through a furnace of the draw assembly while pulling the preform or the reduced-diameter glass cane and rotating the preform or the reduced-diameter glass cane.

A glass cane is manufactured by filling a glass tube with a combination of glass structures forming a cross-sectional pattern within the glass tube, to form a preform. The preform is attached to a draw assembly, such as a draw tower. The draw assembly is operated o draw the preform to a reduced-diameter glass cane by passing the preform through a furnace of the draw assembly while pulling the preform or the reduced-diameter glass cane and rotating the preform or the reduced-diameter glass cane.

In some implementations, a fiber processing machine may receive an optical assembly comprising an input fiber, an output fiber, and a graded index fiber spliced between the input fiber and the output fiber, wherein the graded index fiber has a pitch length and a processed length. A light source may deliver input light into an input end of the input fiber while one or more components monitor output light at an output end of the output fiber. The fiber processing machine may alter a core diameter and the processed length of the graded index fiber until one or more measurements of the output light at the output end of the output fiber indicate that the output light is a perfect image of the input light.

In some implementations, a fiber processing machine may receive an optical assembly comprising an input fiber, an output fiber, and a graded index fiber spliced between the input fiber and the output fiber, wherein the graded index fiber has a pitch length and a processed length. A light source may deliver input light into an input end of the input fiber while one or more components monitor output light at an output end of the output fiber. The fiber processing machine may alter a core diameter and the processed length of the graded index fiber until one or more measurements of the output light at the output end of the output fiber indicate that the output light is a perfect image of the input light.

A delay line interferometer comprising an optical waveguide having a distributed Bragg reflector, e.g. Bragg grating, fabricated therein. The distributed Bragg reflector has a refractive index modulation with a period variation (z) along its length z that is arranged to output in transmission an output optical signal f.sub.out(t) in response to a input optical signal f.sub.in(t), wherein the output optical signal f.sub.out(t) is the result of temporal interference between one or more time-delayed replicas of the input optical signal f.sub.in(t). In other words, the distributed Bragg reflector is operable to generate and permit temporal interference between two or more time-delayed replicas of the input optical signal f.sub.in(t). The invention may thus mimic the behaviour of one or more MZIs.

A delay line interferometer comprising an optical waveguide having a distributed Bragg reflector, e.g. Bragg grating, fabricated therein. The distributed Bragg reflector has a refractive index modulation with a period variation (z) along its length z that is arranged to output in transmission an output optical signal f.sub.out(t) in response to a input optical signal f.sub.in(t), wherein the output optical signal f.sub.out(t) is the result of temporal interference between one or more time-delayed replicas of the input optical signal f.sub.in(t). In other words, the distributed Bragg reflector is operable to generate and permit temporal interference between two or more time-delayed replicas of the input optical signal f.sub.in(t). The invention may thus mimic the behaviour of one or more MZIs.

Provided is a glass base material hanging mechanism that, when hanging a starting member or a glass base material, can tightly (solidly) connect the hanging shaft tube and the hanging component and can vertically align the hanging component and the center of the glass base material.

A method of making an alkali glass powder includes obtaining down chute waste fiberglass (DCWF) and post-consumer waste glass (PCWG), processing the DCWF into a DCWF particulate form, combining the DCWF and PCWG at a ratio of PCWG to DCWF, and co-grinding the combined DCWF particulate form and the PCWG into a DCWF-PCWG powder having an alkali content based on the ratio of PCWG to DCWF.

A method of making an alkali glass powder includes obtaining down chute waste fiberglass (DCWF) and post-consumer waste glass (PCWG), processing the DCWF into a DCWF particulate form, combining the DCWF and PCWG at a ratio of PCWG to DCWF, and co-grinding the combined DCWF particulate form and the PCWG into a DCWF-PCWG powder having an alkali content based on the ratio of PCWG to DCWF.

Embodiments of the present invention described herein relate to fiberglass materials, composite glass materials, methods of making fiberglass materials and composite glass materials, and different applications of fiberglass materials and composite glass materials. The fiberglass materials can include a bimodal particle size distribution. The fiberglass materials can include an average aspect ratio of greater than about 2 to 1. Also described herein are composite glass materials including a first glass material and a second material. The second material can include at least one of post-consumer glass waste, fly ash, metakaolin, and slag. Also described herein are methods of making a composite glass material including providing a first glass material to a mixer; providing a second material to the mixer; and co-milling the first glass material and a second material to form a composite glass material.