Fabrication of Low-Loss Halide Glass Fibers.
Abstract
The primary objective of this program was to develop ultralow-loss fibers for use in long-distance Navy communications systems. Accomplishments of that goal were directed toward the investigation of materials that would transmit in the infrared, as well as fiber drawing processes for these materials. Major emphasis has been placed on fabrication of chloride and fluoride-chloride glasses. These glasses were subsequently doped with a sulfide. Heavy-metal fluoride glasses, which are generally considered to be viable for IR fiber fabrication, are being prepared at Hughes under a contract to NRL. For the present program, two different compositions of CdF2-CdCl2-BaF2 were prepared and subsequently doped with either CdS or ZnS. Impure starting materials, devitrification, and steep viscosity curves combined to limit fiber fabrication. Continuation of research previously funded by ONR aimed at the growth of single crystal KRS-5 fibers is also discussed. By using single-crystal fibers, both the intrinsic predicted low loss of this material and a reduction in the aging process of fibers extruded from the material were anticipated. A process for producing single-crystal fibers of KRS-5 was indeed developed, but no improvements in the fiber were observed. Although fiber fabrication is necessarily limited by the results of glass formation, materials obtained from other sources were also drawn into fiber in an effort to determine the problems specific to fiber fabrication of IR materials.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1985
- Accession Number
- ADA161111
Entities
People
- J. Wysocki
Organizations
- HRL Laboratories