Corning Incorporated
Optical fiber preforms with halogen doping

Abstract:

Preparation of halogen-doped silica is described. The preparation includes doping silica with high halogen concentration, sintering halogen-doped silica to a closed-pore state, and subjecting the closed-pore silica body to a thermal treatment process and/or a pressure treatment process. The temperature of thermal treatment is sufficiently high to facilitate reaction of unreacted doping precursor trapped in voids or interstices of the glass structure, but is below temperatures conducive to foaming. Core canes or fibers drawn from halogen-doped silica subjected to the thermal treatment and/or pressure treatment show improved optical quality and possess fewer defects. The thermal treatment and/or pressure treatment is particularly advantageous when used for silica doped with high concentrations of halogen.