SBIR Phase I: Rare Earth Doped Polymer Optical Fiber Amplifiers

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将演示单模聚合物光纤中的光放大。第一阶段将：1)将各种稀土螯合物加入到聚合物体系中；2)在材料中演示放大；3)制造具有稀土芯层的聚合物纤维；以及4)在光纤中演示放大。单模聚合物光纤波导的模型将与标准石英玻璃光纤的模型相匹配，从而使放大器光纤与现有光纤组件兼容。除了在相控阵雷达中的应用，这些放大器预计将影响长途光纤放大器业务，但它最大的影响将是在小型和区域性网络应用中，特别是光纤到邻居和光纤到路边的应用。这项新技术还将影响本地内部网的放大器市场，并为小型网络和混合光纤同轴电缆电视系统提供高性价比的放大器解决方案。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate optical amplification in a single-mode polymer optical fiber. Phase I will: 1) incorporate various rare earth chelates into polymer systems; 2) demonstrate amplification in the material; 3) make a polymer fiber with a rare-earth core; and 4) demonstrate amplification in the fiber. Single mode polymer optical fiber waveguides will be made with a mode profile that matches that of standard silica glass fiber, thus making the amplifier fiber compatible with existing fiber-optic components. Besides applications in phased array radar, these amplifiers are expected to impact the long-haul fiber amplifier business, but it's largest impact will be in small and regional network applications, particularly for fiber-to-the-neighborhood and fiber-to-the-curb uses. The new technology will also impact the amplifier market for local intranets, as well as provide cost-effective amplifier solutions for small networks and hybrid fiber-coax cable TV systems.