Posts made in October 2020

IRflex Corporation proud to announce that on October 27, 2020, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued Patent Number: US 10, 816, 721 B1 to IRflex Corporation for Hollow-Core Fiber with Anti-Resonant Arches and Method of Manufacturing Thereof for the protection of this corporate product invention and intellectual property.

Innovation can change the world, thanks to this prestigious award to help recognize such an important achievement.

The embodiments of this patent relate generally to the design and precise fabrication of a hollow-core anti-resonant arches  (HC-ARA) fiber, and more particularly to a hollow-core fiber made from an extruded soft glass preform that utilizes a single layer of robust reflecting optical arches for transmission of mid-to long-infrared wavelengths (1-15 micron).  The guidance mechanism and design of this fiber allow the low-loss transmission of wavelengths of light which falls within the high absorption spectrum of the confining material.

IRflex is currently working on the HC-ARA fiber using our chalcogenide glass for the CO₂ laser transmission at 10.6 micron.

IRflex Corporation, has been awarded a United States NAVAIR Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Contract entitled “Mid-Wave Infrared Polarization-Maintaining Single Mode Fiber”.  After successfully competing Phase I and Phase I Option contracts, IRflex Corporation was awarded Phase II contract with the same title.  The objective is to develop single mode polarization-maintaining fiber (PM-fiber) that covers the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) wavelengths from 2mm – 6mm for applications that require a high polarization extinction ratio at the fiber output and is able to waveguide tens of watts of optical power through the fiber.

Applications requiring linearly polarized light and flexibility of fiber delivery in the MWIR region will require a fiber solution that preserve the polarization state of the launched light.  Most infrared lasers are polarized.  PM-fiber offers the capability of preserving the launched light polarization state as it propagates through the fiber.  Commercially available silica PM-fibers cover the visible and near-infrared spectrum, currently there is no commercially available PM-fiber solution for the MWIR region.

Phase II: Develop an initial PM-fiber prototype.  Perform characterization of the optical and mechanical performance of the PM-fiber.  Compare experimental results to the expected specifications.

The Phase II contract will take place over the next twenty-four months.  The ultimate deliverable will be the demonstration of infrared polarization-maintaining fiber.  At that time, IRflex intends to pursue commercialization of the technology.