Patent ID: 6698246
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: C03B,C03C,G02B

Abstract:
A method of making a glass ceramic material suitable for optoelectronic applications, said method comprising:a) preparing a glass composition to yield a precursor glass, doped with at least one selected optically active ion, for a nanocrystalline glass ceramic the precursor glass having a crystallization temperature; b) forming the doped precursor glass into a glass cane; c) surrounding the glass cane with a chemically inert cladding material to thereby form a clad glass cane having the doped precursor glass as the core; d) forming from the clad glass cane an optical component at a temperature above the crystallization temperature of the doped precursor glass; and e) heat treating at least a portion of the optical component to develop nanocrystals within the doped precursor glass, thereby forming said heat treated portion into a glass ceramic material suitable for optoelectronic applications; wherein the glass ceramic material suitable for optelectronic applications is in the form of a clad optical fiber, andwherein the glass-ceramic material forms the core of the optical fiber, the core having a CTE in the range of 10-90Ã—10âˆ’7/Â° C., and the cladding having a CTE in the range of 5-70Ã—10âˆ’7/Â° C.