Fiber Optics Materials Research Program

Table of Contents

1. Mission Statment
2. Objectives
3. Activities
4. Highlights of Recent Accomplishments
5. Industrial Advisory Board Members
6. Partnerships
7. Organizations Supporting FOMRP Activities
8. Contacts

Mission Statement

FOMRP was established in 1985 under the auspices of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology as an adjunct to the Center for Ceramic Research to conduct collaborative research and provide technical support to industrial, government and national laboratories on newly emerging fiber optic materials, waveguides, devices and their applications, to provide the mechanisms for efficient interaction and transfer of technology to participating sponsors, and to serve as a focal point and springboard for the future development of new scientists and companies within New Jersey and the U. S. at large.

Back to Top

Objectives

Maintain state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for the synthesis, characterization, fiberization and application of optical waveguides.

Focus primarily on the synthesis and development of new or improved optical materials for waveguides as well as specialized coating and jacketing materials which impart unique properties to optical fibers.

Target research on selected thrust areas of fiber optics technology such as advanced sensors, active devices, Bragg gratings, biomedical applications, high strength and high reliability fibers and specialty infrared and ultraviolet transmitting waveguides of high optical quality.

Pursue potential collaborative opportunities which require use of specialty fiber optic waveguides.

Back to Top

Activities

INTER-DISCIPLINARY EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Graduate and undergraduate students from 12 departments are supported by FOMRP. More than 150 graduate students and 250 undergraduates have been employed over the past decade.

OUTREACH AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Short courses are offered throughout the year both on-site as well as in conjunction with technical societies. Adult education classes are hosted, periodic seminars and school visits are provided at the K-12 level and on-site-hands-on training is offered periodically for technicians and engineers.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND LICENSING OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

FOMRP possesses a significant patent portfolio in areas such as porous glass sensors, fiber amplifiers, hollow waveguides and infrared materials. Particular emphasis is placed on assistance to New Jersey-based companies both through the formalized TTMP projects as well as individual licensing.

Back to Top

Highlights of Recent Accomplishments

FOMRP researchers have successfully developed an all glass double clad fiber optic laser which significantly enhances the efficiency of laser diode pumping of active fiber devices. This was achieved by the development of new glass compositions as well as innovations in processing. This device is potentially useful for a wide range of applications such as Raman amplifiers, superluminescent sources for fiber gyros and color printers.

In the sensor area, FOMRP has teamed with Pro Optical Technology of Maplewood, NJ and Schutz Engineering of Summit, NJ to develop ruggedized fiber optic chemical sensors for field deployment. Porous glass humidity sensor probes were recently delivered to Best Foods in Jersey City, NJ and M&M Mars in Hackettstown, NJ for testing and evaluation. Sensor Devices Inc. (SDI) of Newark licensed the humidity sensor in 1997 for $50,000.

Chemical vapor deposition and liquid phase approaches continue to provide record low loss levels for hollow silica glass waveguides operating in the 2 to 10 range in the infrared. Losses below 0.2dB/m have enabled continuous operation of high laser power (>40 watts) delivery systems for extended periods without active cooling or measured degradation. This will provide opportunities for industrial laser cutting, marking and welding applications as well as the less demanding biomedical and dental uses already under investigation.

Significant progress has been made on the development of ultra-low absorption fluoride glasses for use in optical cooling experiments being conducted with Los Alamos National Laboratory. Absorption levels near 1 mm are currently below 0.5dB/km and optical cooling has been successfully demonstrated for the first time in a rare earth doped glass in which fluorescent energy literally exceeds absorbed pump energy. FOMRP will deliver glass to Ball Aerospace in 1998 for a space probe using a cooled photodetector.

FOMRP has also developed a new family of chalcohalide glasses doped with Pr³⁺ for uses as 1.3 mm fiber amplifiers which offer high solubility for the rare earth ion, excellent stability against crystallization during fiberization and theoretical quantum efficiencies of about 75% compared with 2 - 3% in presently available heavy metal fluoride amplifier devices on the market and superior mechanical properties.

Back to Top

Industrial Advisory Board Members

Back to Top

Partnerships

New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology

Center for Advanced Food Technology (Rutgers)

Center for Advanced Infrastructure Technology (Rutgers)

Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences (Rutgers)

Princeton Optoelectronic Materials Center (Princeton)

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory

U. S. Army CECOM

Back to Top

Organizations Supporting FOMRP Activities

Back to Top

Contacts

Back to Top

Any broken links send email to webmaster finley@rci.rutgers.edu
Copyright © 2001  Rutgers University, Fiber Optics Materials Research Program. All rights reserved.
Revised: March 6, 2001 .