Available Technology
Thinner, smoother, stronger silica wires can improve fiber optic communications and textile strength
Technology:
Sub-wavelength diameter silica wire
Markets Addressed
Silica wires guide the transmission of light in optical communication systems, optical sensors, and other photonic applications. Dr. Mazur has developed a new manufacturing technique that significantly improves silica wires to be thinner, smoother, and stronger than current wires. With these improvements, the silica wires can help improve optic communication systems and, surprisingly, some textiles.
In optical communication systems, thinner, smoother silica wires make thinner, smoother waveguides. The streamlined waveguides can more efficiently transmit light, reducing transmission losses in both long- and medium-distance systems. They could also be used in very short-distance systems, such as chip-to-chip or intra-chip communication, because they are so thin that they can operate at a sub-wavelength level.
Waveguides need consistently sized and uniformly smooth silica wire to operate effectively. Dr. Mazur’s manufacturing technique can do just that: a two-step process produces uniform, lengthy, smooth, free-standing wires. As a result, making waveguides could become less expensive for the optic communications industry.
The strength of the silica wires increased as well, they are now significantly stronger than wires of similar diameters. This strength extends their use to textiles where they could be used as spider silk to improve the strength of manufactured fabrics or lines.
Innovations and Advantages
Drs. Mazur, Gattass and Tong have developed a new method to manufacture silica wires that provide these significant overall improvements:
• Size – The wire diameter is less than a light wavelength, down to 50 nanometers, and is uniform throughout the length of the wire. Most waveguides in use today have diameters that are greater than a wavelength.
• Smoothness – The surface is smooth at the atomic level.
• Strength – Wire tensile strength is 5 times as strong as spider silk (gossamer).
With these properties, there could be a reduction in optical loss, in the visible to near-infrared ranges, to levels less than 0.1 decibel per millimeter. As a result, any optical communication system that utilizes them will have improved operation efficiencies over existing silica wires.
Additional Information
Intellectual Property Status: Issued U.S. patent nos.: 7,421,173; 7,620,281
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Inventor(s):
Gattass, Rafael R.
Mazur, Eric
Tong, Limin
Categories:
For further information, please contact:
Alan Gordon, Director of Business Development
(617) 384-5000
Reference Harvard Case #2270