New Source Compounds For Fabrication Of Doped Optical Waveguide Fibers

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Abstract
Raw materials used for the fabrication of high purity Si02-Ge02 glasses are typically volatile metal halides. The use of non-halides has been reported but have not been extensively utilized. New compositions for optical fibers have been proposed to extend optical performance and fabrication efficiency but these are often unattainable due to lack of suitably volatile high purity source compounds compatable with CVD systems. A recent approach to obtain waveguides more resistant to detrimental radiation effects is the addition of metal oxides such as cerium oxide that are widely used in specialty glasses to minimize induced absorptions caused by ionizing radiation by creation of hole and electron traps. Optical Waveguide fibers in the Si02-Ge02-Ce02 system have been fabricated by conventional OVD processes utilizing newly developed cerium source compounds. These new compounds are transported from bubblers using argon carrier gas to the burner where methane-oxygen combustion in the presence of SiCl4 and GeCl4 produces ceria containing glass of optical waveguide quality. Cerium (III) and Ce (IV) are observed at 260 and 320nm, respectively, in transmission curves of bulk pieces of glass and also optical fibers. Ceria concentrations over 0.4% (wt) induce phase separation so attenuation measurements have been on fiber containing less Ce02. No deleterous effects of absorption due to CeO2 occur beyond 850nm based upon comparisons of control and doped fibers. Results of preliminary radiation exposure will also be presented.

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