JP2021006505A - Quartz glass product and method for forming quartz glass optical member - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a quartz glass optical member, capable of drawing a quartz glass coaxial structure or an entire optical preform when forming the optical member in order to avoid the waste of expensive quartz glass.SOLUTION: The method includes providing a cylindrical quartz glass main body 22 consisting of core rod glass and cladding glass and including a first end 22a having a first outer diameter and having a cut corner; providing a glass handle 24 including a first end 24a and a second end 24b having a second outer diameter being the 50-110% of the first outer diameter and having a facing cut corner; attaching the end of the glass handle having a cut corner to the quartz glass main body; and guiding the quartz glass main body to a drawing furnace using the glass handle. The distortion of a cladding to a core ratio in the vicinity of an interface 34 between the cylindrical quartz glass main body and the glass handle is less than 5%.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention ensures that quartz glass optics, especially optical optics for waveguides or optical fibers, reduce the distortion of the waveguide and ensure uniform temperature and viscosity distribution throughout the quartz glass in its thermal process. It relates to a system and a manufacturing method for manufacturing while. Such thermal steps include, but are not limited to, drawing or stretching, compression, structural collapse, or overclading.

Examples of quartz glass optical members include solid or hollow cylinders, preforms for optical fibers, or optical fibers. Such an optical member is usually formed using the coaxial structure of a quartz glass core rod inserted into a hole in a quartz glass overclad cylinder. Starting from its lower end, the coaxial structure is fed to the heating zone of a vertically arranged stretching furnace, where it is heated in the direction of the zone and stretched into the solid or hollow cylinder, fiber optic preform, or fiber optic. .. Alternatively, the starting body may be an optical fiber preform, which is then stretched into multiple smaller size preforms or fiber optics.

Such stretching methods typically require a glass handle attached to the top of the coaxial structure or preform to guide the structure or preform into the stretching furnace. In the conventional stretching process, various measures have been taken in relation to the glass handle in order to reduce the cost. For example, the glass handle is typically a solid or hollow cylinder with an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the stretched quartz glass body (ie, the coaxial structure or fiber optic preform). Also, the type of glass used to form the handle of the glass may be of inferior quality to that of the stretched quartz glass body. That is, the glass used to make the handle of the glass is usually not used to form the final waveguide or part of the fiber optic product, and therefore more impurities and / or contamination. It can be made of cheaper materials that contain material and have different thermal properties than the glass of the coaxial structure or fiber optic preform.

However, such cost reduction measures have drawbacks. In particular, when the glass handle is welded to the coaxial structure or fiber optic preform and the welded structure is stretched, the glass at the handle end of the structure / preform stretches to an acceptable fiber optic. Can not do it. Specifically, the optical fiber stretched from the glass in the vicinity of the handle usually has poor waveguide characteristics, such as a cutoff wavelength, mode field diameter, zero dispersion wavelength, the core that is unacceptable for the stretched fiber. It has an inappropriate or distorted clad-to-core ratio that can result in increased eccentricity of the core due to radial displacement from the clad glass, non-uniform outer diameter or shape, etc.

Control problems are also common in traditional stretching systems and methods, and it is necessary to determine exactly when to end stretching and avoid stretching glass with distorted or "bad" edges. .. The so-called "end effect" occurs within a certain length of the coaxial structure / fiber optic preform near the handle of the glass. This length corresponds to the length of the heating zone of the stretching furnace (eg, usually 10-20 cm) due to the desired efficiency of radiant heat exchange or transfer between the glass member and the stretching furnace. This is often the same as the diameter of the glass member to be stretched. Therefore, stretching is usually terminated when this length is reached before all of the glass of the coaxial structure / fiber optic preform is stretched. The unstretched glass at the end of the coaxial structure / fiber optic preform attached to the handle must be discarded and the amount of wasted glass usually increases with the diameter of the stretched glass member.

Therefore, in order to avoid wasting expensive quartz glass, it would be beneficial to provide an improved method that allows stretching of the coaxial structure of quartz glass or the entire optical preform during the formation of the optics.

The present invention is based on our previously unknown discovery of the root cause of the above-mentioned edge effects. Specifically, they have found that these edge effects are the result of the glass at the rear end of the coaxial structure / fiber optic preform (ie, the end attached to the handle) being distorted during the stretching process. In addition, the heated interior and center of the glass, including the fiber core, is axially at a different rate than the heated outer clad glass due to the radial non-uniformity of temperature and viscosity distribution within the glass body. It has been found that these strains occur primarily in the edge glass as it flows downward (eg, by gravity or by stretching or holding forces applied from the outside). More specifically, as the handle end of the coaxial structure / optical fiber preform approaches the heating zone of the stretching furnace, the outer clad glass is heated to a higher temperature than the inner core glass, resulting in relatively hotter. We have found that the outer clad glass flows axially downwards faster than the inner core glass. As a result, the outer clad glass hangs further than the inner core glass, thereby distorting the clad-to-core ratio of the glass at the handle end and impairing the waveguide properties of the optical member stretched from it. In addition, the difference in axial flow of the glass near the handle end is often azimuth asymmetric (eg, due to the azimuth asymmetric temperature distribution occurring in the glass body in the stretching furnace), which in turn is the It can result in a significant increase in the eccentricity of the fiber core.

Moreover, since the handle and the mounting rear end of the coaxial structure / fiber optic preform usually have different outer diameters, there is a predominant difference in axial flow between the core and the clad glass, thereby causing a radius at the handle end. We have found that a geometrical discontinuity in direction is introduced. This radial discontinuity causes a non-uniform temperature in the radial direction with respect to the radiant heat load generated near the interface between the glass handle and the coaxial structure / optical fiber preform, and the core and clad glass near the interface. And provides a viscosity distribution.

Also, other factors, such as differences in geometric shape and thermal properties of the glass handle and coaxial structure / fiber optic preform, can result in non-uniform temperature and viscosity distribution in the radial direction of the end glass. I also found. The non-uniform temperature distribution causes the core and clad glass to flow downward at different velocities, thereby the relative ratio of core to clad glass required for useful waveguides or fiber optic applications (generally with the clad-to-core ratio). (Called) is distorted and impaired.

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a quartz glass optical member. The method is a cylindrical quartz glass body made of core rod glass and clad glass surrounding the core rod glass, with a first square cut end having a first outer diameter, facing second. To provide a cylindrical quartz glass body having a vertical axis extending between one end of the glass and between the first and second opposite ends, and a first end and an opposing second. Provided is a glass handle having a square-cut second end having an outer diameter, wherein the second outer diameter is 50% to 110% of the first outer diameter. And, by attaching the squared second end of the glass handle to the squared first end of the quartz glass body to define the interface, and using the glass handle. Inducing the quartz glass body into a stretching furnace and heating the core glass and the clad glass of the quartz glass body to produce a quartz glass optical member, the clad to core ratio in the vicinity of the interface. The strain is less than 5%.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for forming an optical fiber preform. In this method, a quartz glass body having a first end and an opposite second end is passed through a furnace having a heating zone, and the first end and the first of the quartz glass body are passed in the heating zone. A first optical fiber preform and a second optical fiber are formed by forming at least one neck-down region between the two ends and cutting the quartz glass body at the narrowest portion of the at least one neck-down region. Including forming a preform. Each of the first and second fiber optic preforms has a tapered, angularly cut first end and an opposite second end.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a manufacturing system for quartz glass optical members. The system is a quartz glass body composed of a core rod glass and a clad glass surrounding the core rod glass, having a first outer diameter, a square-cut first end, an opposing second end, and the opposing. A glass body having a quartz glass body having a vertical axis extending between a first end and a second end, and a glass having a first end and a square-cut second end having a second outer diameter facing each other. Includes handles and. The angled second end of the glass handle is attached to the angled first end of the quartz glass body to define an interface, the second outer diameter of which is the first. As a result, when the core glass and the clad glass in the vicinity of the interface are heated to produce a quartz glass optical member, the distortion of the clad to core ratio in the vicinity of the interface is 50% to 110% of the outer diameter of the quartz glass. It is less than 5%.

An overview of the invention described above and a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention below will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Preferred embodiments are shown in these drawings for purposes of illustration. However, it should be understood that the devices and methods are not limited to the exact structures and means shown.

It is a partial sectional view of the manufacturing system of the optical member by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective side view of the quartz glass body used for manufacturing the optical member by embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the quartz glass main body shown in FIG. 2A. It is a perspective side view of the handle of the glass used for manufacturing the optical member by embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the handle of the glass shown in FIG. 3A. It is a partial sectional view of the manufacturing system of the quartz glass main body which can be stretched to the optical member by embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the manufacturing system of the quartz glass body which can be stretched to the optical member by another embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the quartz glass body manufactured by the system of FIGS. 4-5.

The present invention relates to an optical fiber preform or an optical fiber manufacturing system and manufacturing method. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that preforms manufactured from the systems and methods described below may be utilized for a variety of other purposes other than fiber optic preforms or fiber optic manufacturing. More specifically, the present invention relates to an optical fiber preform or a method of stretching an optical fiber while reducing or preventing distortion of the waveguide in the glass during the stretching process. The present invention also provides improvements in the eccentricity and clad diameter uniformity of the core of the optical fiber extending from the preform.

With reference to FIG. 1, a fiber optic preform or fiber optic manufacturing system 10 is shown. The system 10 comprises a vertically arranged extension tower 12 comprising an upper open end 14, an opposing lower open end 16, and a heating zone 18 between the upper end 14 and the lower end 16. The heating zone 18 is preferably set at 500 ° C to 2,300 ° C, more preferably 1,000 ° C to 2,300 ° C, and most preferably 1,500 ° C to 2,300 ° C, depending on the heating element 20 (see FIG. 1). Can be heated to the temperature of. More specifically, the heating element 20 preferably has an annular arrangement. The heating element 20 is preferably arranged inside or around the stretching column 12 to form a heating zone 18 of the stretching column 12.

The quartz glass body 22 is guided to the stretching tower 12 by the glass handle 24 to manufacture an optical fiber preform or an optical fiber. With reference to FIGS. 2A-2B, the glass body 22 has a cylindrical or tubular shape. The glass body 22 has a length L extending from the first, i.e., upper end 22a, to the opposite second, i.e., lower end 22b. The vertical axis X extends between the opposite first end 22a and the second end 22b. The first end 22a is preferably a square cut end. That is, the first end 22a is a smoothed end plane, so that the surface 26 of the first end 22a extends perpendicular to the vertical axis X of the glass body 22. More specifically, the end face 26 preferably extends at 90 ° ± 5 ° with respect to the vertical axis X of the glass body 22. It is more preferable that both the first end 22a and the second end 22b of the glass body 22 are angularly cut ends.

The quartz glass body 22 preferably comprises a core or core rod glass 30 including a waveguide optical fiber core and a clad glass 32 surrounding the core rod glass 30. More specifically, it is preferable that the core rod glass 30 is formed at the geometric center of the quartz glass main body 22 and extends along the length L thereof. The clad glass 32 is preferably formed on the core rod glass 30 so as to radially surround the core rod glass 30 along the length L of the quartz glass body 22.

The clad glass 32 may be pure quartz glass or doped quartz glass having different refractive indexes and compositions. However, the clad glass 32 is preferably pure quartz glass. It is preferred that the core rod glass 30 is mostly pure quartz glass having a single-stage or radial complex index profile at or around the waveguide.

Referring to FIG. 1, the glass body 22 passes through a stretching tower 12 where it is heated, softened and stretched to form an optical member, such as an optical fiber preform 28 or an optical fiber 28'. More specifically, the lower end 22b of the glass body 22 is preferably arranged in a stable manner at the upper opening end 22 of the stretching tower 12 at the start of stretching, after which the glass body 22 passes through the stretching tower 12. Move forward downwards. In the stretching column 12, the glass body 22 is heated in the heating zone 18 in a zone direction manner. The preform 28 or fiber 28'is continuously stretched from the lower opening end 16 by melt deformation during the stretching and stretching / stretching by gravity or externally applied traction or compressive force.

For the purpose of the manufacturing method, more specifically, for the purpose of passing the stretching tower 12 through the glass main body 22 and advancing it, the lower end 22b of the main body 22 is the front end and the upper end 22a is the rear end. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any conventional vertically arranged stretching device can be used to form the fiber optic preform or fiber optics if provided with a heating element.

In one embodiment, the glass body 22 is a coaxial assembly of two separate glass members. More specifically, the core rod glass 30 has a solid, cylindrical core rod shape, and the clad glass 32 has a hollow overclad cylinder shape surrounding the core rod 30 (ie, rod-in-cylinder assembly). In the coaxial assembly, the core rod 30 and the overclad cylinder 32 are not fused together prior to stretching in the furnace.

In one embodiment, at least one cover (not shown) is provided in the gap between the core rod glass 30 and the clad glass 32. The cover is preferably made of fluorine-doped glass, more preferably made of fluorine-doped quartz glass. However, it will be appreciated that the covering does not have to be made of quartz glass and may be made of glass of a different composition.

As the coaxial assembly of the present embodiment of the glass body 22 advances from the upper open end 14 of the stretching tower 12 towards the lower open end 16, the core rod 30 and the overclad cylinder 32 soften these two glass members. And it is heated to a predetermined temperature sufficient to fuse with each other to form a single glass body. More specifically, when a series of parts of the two-piece glass body 22 approaches the heating zone 18 and is heated there, the overclad glass cylinder 32 and the core rod 30 are softened, and the softened overclad glass cylinder 32 is on the core rod 30. The structure collapses and fuses with the core rod 30. At least one, more preferably, a plurality of preforms 28 or optical fibers 28'can then be stretched from the resulting single glass body.

Preferably, the coaxial structure of the glass body 22 of the present embodiment has a temperature of 500 ° C. to 2,300 ° C., more preferably 1,000 ° C. to 2,300 ° C., and most preferably 1,500 ° C. to 2,300 ° C. Heated to temperature. More preferably, the softening and structural collapse of the overclad cylinder 32 on the core rod 30 is 1,000 ° C. to 2,200 ° C., more preferably 1,300 ° C. to 2,000 ° C., most preferably 1,600 ° C. It occurs at a temperature of ~ 1,800 ° C. The fusion of the softened overclad cylinder 32 and the softened core rod 30 is preferably 1,000 ° C. to 2,200 ° C., more preferably 1,300 ° C. to 2,200 ° C., most preferably 1, It occurs at temperatures of 600 ° C to 2,200 ° C. However, to those skilled in the art, other factors, such as the composition of the glass material, stretching rate, and throughput, also affect the temperature at which the overclad cylinder 32 undergoes structural collapse on the core rod 30 and fuses with the core rod 30. Will be understood.

In another embodiment, the glass body 22 is in the form of a single solid quartz glass cylinder, more preferably in the form of an optical fiber preform. That is, in one embodiment, the core rod glass 30 and the clad glass 32 are already fused together and stretched into a single optical fiber preform. The optical fiber preform of the present embodiment of the glass body 22 may be a relatively large diameter mother preform that produces a plurality of small size preforms 28 through a stretching tower 12. Alternatively, the fiber optic preform of the present embodiment of the glass body 22 may be sized to extend directly to the fiber optic 28'.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3A-3B, the glass handle 24 is preferably used to guide the glass body 22 to the stretching tower 12. Specifically, the glass handle 24 has a first rear end 24a and an opposing second tip 24b. The second end 24b is preferably a corner cut end. More preferably, both the first end 24a and the second end 24b of the glass handle 24 are angularly cut ends. The squared second end 24b of the glass handle 24 is preferably fixed to the squared first end of the glass body 22, ie the upper end 22a. More preferably, the squared second end 24b of the glass handle 24 is welded to at least the clad glass 32 of the first end 22a of the glass body 22. Alternatively, the square-cut second end 24b of the glass handle 24 may be welded to the entire surface 26 of the glass body 22 at the first end 22a. Since the welded ends 22a and 24b are squarely cut, the end faces 26 and 42 are flush with each other at the interface 34.

Although the term handle is used below for purposes of illustration, any suitable descriptive term, such as a lid, cover plug, collar, end cap, etc., may be used to identify the handle-like member. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art.

In one embodiment, the glass handle 24 is preferably in the form of a solid or hollow cylinder with a uniform outer diameter OD ₂₄ extending along its length. The cylindrical glass body 22 also preferably has a uniform diameter OD ₂₂ along its entire length L. In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3B, the outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the glass handle ₂₄ is preferably 50% to 110%, more preferably 60% to 110, of the outer diameter OD ₂₂ of the glass body 22. %. More specifically, the outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the square-cut second end 24b of the glass handle 24 is 50% to 110 of the outer diameter OD ₂₂ of the square-cut first end 22a of the glass body 22. %, And more preferably 60% to 110%. More preferably, the outer diameter _{OD 24} of the second end 24b which is a corner cut of the handle 24 of the glass is equal to the outer diameter _{OD 22} of the first end 22a which is the corner cut of the glass body 22.

In another embodiment, the outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the glass handle ₂₄ is smaller than the initial outer diameter OD ₂₂ of the glass body 22. In such an embodiment, the squared first end 22a of the glass body 22 (ie, the end to which the glass handle 24 is attached) is preferably tapered to better fit the outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the glass handle 24. Is attached, whereby the tapered glass body 22'is formed (see FIGS. 4 to 6). Therefore, marked with corners 'outer diameter _{OD 22a'} of the cut end 22a is tapered, smaller 'outer diameter _{OD 22'} of the second end 22b. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, in the tapered glass body 22', the corner-cut first end 22a' has an outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the glass handle 24, preferably a tapered corner. It is preferable that the taper is provided so as to be 50% of the outer diameter OD _{22a'of the} cut end 22a'to 110% of the outer diameter OD _22' of the second end 22b'of the glass body 22'. More preferably, the outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the glass handle 24 is preferably 60% of the outer diameter OD _{22a'of the} tapered square-cut end 22a'to the second end 22b' of the glass body 22'. It is 110% of the outer diameter OD _22' . Most preferably, the outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the glass handle 24 is equal to the outer diameter OD _22a'of the tapered, angularly cut end 22a'. Although the angularally cut first end 22a'of the glass body 22'is configured as a conical taper, it is preferably understood that any tapered shape is acceptable.

Such a tapered glass body 22'can be formed by any known method or a new method that has not yet been developed, but only if that method maintains the clad-to-core ratio of the waveguide. For example, the tapered, angularly cut end 22a'may be formed by applying a heat source to the first end 22a' until the end 22a' is tapered to an outer diameter OD _22a' . Examples of such a heat source include, but are not limited to, an oxygen hydrogen torch, a propane torch, a plasma torch, and the like.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the tapered glass body 22'passes the glass body 22 through a stretching furnace 12 to heat a portion of the body 22 through a gap, and at the same time stretches or stretches the body 22. Formed by. As a result, a neck-down or tapered region 44 is formed along the length L of the glass body 22 via an hourglass-shaped gap, each having two opposing conical tapers. The outer diameter OD _44a of the narrowest portion 44a of each neckdown region 44 is generally equal to the outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the relatively small handle 24. The glass body 22 may be cut at the narrowest portion 44a of each neckdown region 44, whereby a plurality of tapered glasses having squared first ends 22a', each having an outer diameter OD _22a'. The body 22'is formed.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 5, the tapered glass body 22'welds two glass bodies 22 to each other and then attaches the attached body 22 in a furnace 52, some of which is equipped with a heater 54. It may be formed by heating at least one of them and simultaneously pulling them apart from each other (that is, stretching the attached main body 22). As a result, an intermediate neckdown or taper region 50 having the same shape as the neckdown region 44 described above is formed. The attached glass body 22 may then be cut at the narrowest portion 50a of the neck-down region 50, thereby generally to the outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the square cut second end 24b of the glass handle 24, respectively. A pair of tapered glass bodies 22'with squared first ends 22a' with equal outer diameter OD _22a' is formed. It will be appreciated that the portion of the adhered body 22 via the plurality of gaps can be heated to form the neck down region 50 and the plurality of tapered glass bodies 22'via the plurality of gaps.

The two different types of glass bodies 22 and 22'are also described herein by simply referring to the "glass body 22". Therefore, it will be appreciated that the following description applies to both the glass body 22 with a uniform diameter OD _{22 and} the glass body 22'with a tapered end 22a'.

Since the outer diameters OD _22a and OD _{24b of the} attached square-cut ends 22a and _24b are generally equal, the interface 34 of the handle 24 and the glass body 22 generally has a uniform radial shape. More specifically, the handle / body interface 34 has a uniform outer diameter that is not interrupted in the radial direction, so that when the glass handle 24 guides the glass body 22 to the stretching tower 12, the vicinity of the interface 34 Alternatively, thermal perturbations due to non-uniform radiated heat scattering and absorption at the interface 34 are minimized, resulting in a uniform radial temperature and viscosity distribution at or near the interface 34. Preferably, due to the non-uniform radiant heat load generated near the interface 34, the radial temperature difference is less than 200 ° C, more preferably less than 100 ° C, and most preferably less than 50 ° C.

As a result, the radial temperature distribution near the interface 34 becomes uniform, and as a result, the core rod glass 30 and the clad glass 32 near the stretched handle end (that is, the interface 34) are heated to the same temperature at the same speed and heated. The glass 30 and 32 made have generally equal viscosities and thus generally equal axial velocities. That is, since the heated core rod glass 30 and the heated clad glass 32 near the handle / main body interface 34 flow downward along the vertical axis L ₂₂ at generally the same speed, the glass near the interface 34 is not distorted. As a result, the core rod and clad glass 30, 32 remain radially aligned with each other, and the outer clad glass 32 has a uniform outer diameter or shape, resulting in the final waveguide or optical fiber product. The required clad-to-core ratio is maintained. More specifically, the distortion of the clad-to-core ratio near the interface 34 is preferably less than 5%, more preferably less than 3%, and most preferably less than 1%.

Adhesion as long as the radial temperature difference near the interface 34 is less than 200 ° C, more preferably less than 100 ° C, most preferably less than 50 ° C, and as a result the radial temperature and viscosity distribution is uniform near the interface 34. It will be appreciated that a slight deviation may occur between the outer diameters OD _22a and OD _24b of the _squarely cut ends 22a, 24b. The heated core rod and clad glass 30 in the vicinity of the stretched handle end (ie, interface 34), as long as any radial non-uniformity of the temperature distribution in the glass near the interface 34 is limited as described above. It will be appreciated that slight deviations may occur between the 32 axial flow rates. More specifically, any change or strain in the clad-to-core ratio near interface 34 is less than 5%, more preferably less than 3%, most preferably less than 1% for optimal waveguide or fiber optic performance. As long as these axial velocities are slightly offset from each other.

In one embodiment, the glass handle 24 is made of the same type of glass as the clad glass 32 of the glass body 22. In one embodiment, the glass handle 24 is an optical fiber preform having the same type of core rod and clad glass as the core rod and clad glass 30 and 32 of the glass body 22.

In one embodiment, the glass handle 24 is an unstretched (ie, new or unused) fiber optic preform and the glass body 22 is the rest of the prestretched preform (ie, the rest of the preform). .. More specifically, the rest of the preform (ie, the glass body 22) is formed by stretching a portion of the fiber optic preform and leaving the tapered or tip of the preform unstretched. It may be such that subsequent stretching of the fiber can be easily initiated when welded to the unstretched square-cut preform (ie, the glass handle 24). The taper or tip remnant of the stretched preform is the remnant of the fiber optic preform, which serves as the glass body 22 welded to the squared second end 24b of the unused or new preform acting as the handle 24. Can work.

In another embodiment, the glass handle 24 is a scrap preform, which says that its waveguide performance or fiber optic properties are insufficient to make the waveguide or fiber optic product acceptable ( The preform shown (in previous tests of the "sister" material).

In another embodiment, the glass handle 24 is made of a different type of glass than the glass body 22, and more preferably the glass handle 24 is a lower cost low quality glass (eg, usually waveguide or optical fiber). It is made of natural quartz glass, which has more impurities, contaminants, etc. than the higher cost synthetic silica glass body 22 used in the product.

In such an embodiment, even if the glass handle 24 and the glass body 22 have different compositions, the radial shape of the interface 34 is uniform, so that distortion occurs at the body / handle interface 34 in the glass. Is a minimum to zero. That is, even if the different glasses of the handle 24 and the main body 22 have different viscosities, thermal conductivity, heat transfer coefficient, etc., the outer diameter OD ₂₄ of the glass handle ₂₄ is preferably the outer diameter OD ₂₂ of the glass main body ₂₂ . Since it is 50% to 110%, thermal perturbation near the interface 34 does not occur or occurs only to a minimum. Therefore, a uniform temperature distribution in the radial direction is maintained, and the core rod glass 30 and the clad glass 32 near the interface 34 have a uniform axial flow in the radial direction. The glass body 22 can be stretched to the interface 34 to form an acceptable waveguide or optical fiber product. That is, the end of the resulting waveguide or optical fiber product (ie, the portion extending from the end 22a of the glass body 22 attached to the handle 24) is within the permissible range required for the optical waveguide or fiber member. It has a core ratio, mode field diameter, core eccentricity, geometric ratio and symmetry, cutoff wavelength, zero dispersion wavelength, and the like.

The present invention increases the yield from stretching of the optical member. The stretching yield of the optical member is preferably 80 to 100%, more preferably 90 to 100%, and most preferably more than 95%. In addition, the downgrade and scrap rate are significantly reduced as compared with the conventional stretching process. The downgrade rate is preferably 0 to 20%, more preferably 0 to 10%, and most preferably less than 5%. The scrap rate is preferably 0 to 10%, more preferably 0 to 5%, and most preferably less than 1%.

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the following examples.

Example 1
The first cylinder assembly and the second cylinder assembly were welded together. These first and second cylinder assemblies were identical to each other. Each assembly was formed by a core rod inserted into an overclad cylinder made of dry (<1 ppm OH) synthetic silica. Each assembly had an outer diameter of 200 mm and an inner diameter of 43-46 mm. These ends welded to each other were square-cut ends. The welded cylinder / core rod assembly was stretched at temperatures up to 2200 ° C. The optical preforms and fibers near the resulting cylinder weld (ie, the interface between the first and second cylinder assemblies) had a deviation from the design clad to core ratio of 3.2 of less than 1% and the target cut. The deviation from the off-wavelength was also less than 1%. Such results indicate that the radial uniformity with respect to the relative axial glass flow is better than 1%.

Example 2
A natural quartz color glass handle with an outer diameter of 200 mm and an inner diameter of 126 mm was welded to the upper end of a cylinder assembly with an outer diameter of 200 mm and an inner diameter of 46 mm. This cylinder assembly was formed by a core rod inserted into a dry (<1 ppm OH) synthetic silica overclad cylinder. Both of these welded ends were square cut ends. Utilizing the glass handle, the cylinder assembly was passed through a furnace and the fiber optic preform was stretched at temperatures up to 2200 ° C. The final fiber optic preform, which includes glass near the interface between the glass handle and the cylinder assembly, has a deviation from the design clad to core ratio of 3.2 of less than 1%, resulting in poor fiber optic eccentricity. It was shown that there was no. Such results indicate that the radial uniformity with respect to the relative axial glass flow is better than 1%.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the broad concept of the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the present invention is not limited to the specified embodiments disclosed, and is intended to include modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Will be done.

Claims (19)

A method for manufacturing quartz glass optical members.
A cylindrical quartz glass body made of core rod glass and clad glass surrounding the core rod glass, which has a first outer diameter, a square-cut first end, an opposing second end, and the opposing first end. To provide the cylindrical quartz glass body having a vertical axis extending between one end and a second end.
A glass handle having a first end and an opposite square-cut second end having a second outer diameter, wherein the second outer diameter is 50% to 110 of the first outer diameter. To provide the glass handle, which is%
Attaching the squared second end of the glass handle to the squared first end of the quartz glass body to define the interface.
The interface comprising guiding the quartz glass body into a stretching furnace using the glass handle and heating the core rod glass and the clad glass of the quartz glass body to produce a quartz glass optical member. The method described above, wherein the distortion of the nearby clad to core ratio is less than 5%. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composition of the glass handle is the same as the composition of the cylindrical quartz glass body. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composition of the glass handle is different from the composition of the quartz glass body. The method of claim 1, wherein the glass handle is in the shape of a solid rod or hollow cylinder. The method according to claim 1, wherein the handle of the glass is an optical fiber preform having a square-cut end, and the cylindrical quartz glass body is the rest of the stretched optical fiber preform. The method of claim 1, wherein the glass handle is in the form of a scrap optical fiber preform. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical quartz glass body is an optical fiber preform. The cylindrical quartz glass body is a coaxial assembly of core rods surrounded by an overclad cylinder, and the core rod and the overclad cylinder are held apart from each other before being heated in the stretching furnace. The method according to claim 1. 8. The glass handle is a coaxial assembly of core rods surrounded by an overclad cylinder, wherein the core rod and the overclad cylinder are held apart from each other before being heated in the stretching furnace. The method described in. The cylindrical quartz glass body, the core rod glass of the glass handle, and the clad glass are softened in the stretching furnace, and the softened clad glass undergoes structural collapse and softening on the softened core rod glass. The method according to claim 9, wherein the core rod glass is fused to form an optical fiber preform. The method of claim 1, wherein the squared second end of the glass handle is welded to the squared first end of the cylindrical quartz glass body. 11. The method of claim 11, wherein the welding is performed using a process selected from the group consisting of hydrogen welding, propane welding, arc welding, plasma welding, and laser welding. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the second end of the cylindrical quartz glass body is larger than the first outer diameter of the square-cut first end. Further includes applying a heat source to the first end of the cylindrical quartz glass body to form a tapered, angularly cut end, the second outer diameter of the glass handle. The method according to claim 1, wherein the outer diameter of the tapered end is 50% to 110% of the first outer diameter. It is a method of forming an optical fiber preform.
Passing a quartz glass body having a first end and an opposite second end through a furnace having a heating zone,
In the heating zone, forming at least one neck-down region between the first end and the second end of the quartz glass body;
The first and second optical fibers include cutting the quartz glass body at the narrowest portion of the at least one neck-down region to form a first optical fiber preform and a second optical fiber preform. The method, wherein each of the preforms has a tapered, angularly cut first end and an opposing second end. 14. The method of claim 14, wherein a neck-down region is formed between the first end and the second end of the quartz glass body through a plurality of gaps. 14. The method of claim 14, wherein the angled first end of each optical fiber preform is configured as a conical taper. It is a method of extending an optical fiber.
To form a first optical fiber preform comprising a core rod glass and a clad glass surrounding the core rod glass according to the method of claim 14.
The angled end of the glass handle is attached to the tapered first edge of the optical fiber preform to define an interface, wherein the glass handle is said to have the same diameter. The outer diameter of the angularly cut end is 50% of the outer diameter of the tapered first edge of the first optical fiber preform to the outside of the second end of the optical fiber preform. The above-mentioned imaging, which is 110% of the diameter,
Includes using the glass handle to guide the first optical fiber preform downward into a vertically arranged stretching furnace to heat the core rod glass and the clad glass to stretch the optical fiber. The method, wherein the distortion of the clad-to-core ratio near the interface is less than 5%. 17. The method of claim 17, wherein the angled end of the glass handle is welded to the tapered, angled first end of the first optical fiber preform. Quartz glass optical member manufacturing system
A quartz glass body made of a core rod glass and a clad glass surrounding the core rod glass, which has a first outer diameter, a square-cut first end, an opposing second end, and the opposing first end. The quartz glass body and the quartz glass body having a vertical axis extending between the and the second end.
It comprises a glass handle having a first end and an opposite squared second end having a second outer diameter, and the squared second end of the glass handle is the quartz. Attached to the squared first end of the glass body to define an interface, the second outer diameter is 50% to 110% of the first outer diameter, and as a result, near the interface. The system in which the distortion of the clad-to-core ratio in the vicinity of the interface is less than 5% when the core glass and the clad glass are heated to produce a quartz glass optical member.

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