On Demand Curing Fiber Optic Refractive Index Matching Material

Current curable fiber optic index matching materials used to secure and index match fiber optic cores in mechanical splices have limited shelf lives at both storage and standard operating temperatures. Shelf life is particularly problematic in applications where no refrigeration or humidity control is available during shipping and storage of the curable index matching material prior to splicing. Due to the high power of optical signals running through the fiber, incompatible or inadequate mechanical splices can result in ignition of refractive index matching material. Significant improvement to optical, environmental and shelf life properties of index matching materials are needed for mechanical splicing onboard current and future military aerospace platforms. Novel material chemistries are needed to improve the shelf life performance of mechanical splices based on light cured index matching materials. Luna Innovations, through its work in on-demand curing resins, has identified a novel class of compounds capable of high fidelity index matching that can be photocured and exhibits no dark reaction even after several months of storage. In Phase I, Luna will demonstrate the long shelf life of the novel materials via accelerated aging life testing and mechanical splicing and will deliver the novel uncured material to the Navy.