IMPROVING LASER-HEATED PEDESTAL GROWTH PROCESS FOR GROWING LONG SINGLE CRYSTAL FIBERS

SINGLE CRYSTAL FIBERS WILL HAVE WIDESPREAD APPLICATIONS IN SUCH AREAS AS COMPOSITE MATERIALS, MEDICINE, FIBER OPTIC SENSORS, AND SUPERCONDUCTIVITY. SEVERAL TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN USED TO MANUFACTURE SINGLE CRYSTAL FIBERS. HOWEVER, FIBERS MANUFACTURED BY THESE TECHNIQUES EITHER HAVE LOW OPTICAL QUALITY, SHORT LENGTHS, OR HIGH COST. THESE FACTORS HAVE PROHIBITED THE AVAILABILITY OF HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY, LONG (SEVERAL HUNDRED METERS) SINGLE CRYSTAL FIBERSFOR MANY APPLICATIONS. LASERGENICS IS PROPOSING TO IMPROVE ITS LASER-HEATED PEDESTAL GROWTH (LHPG) PROCESS TO MANUFACTURE LONG LENGTHS OF SINGLE CRYSTAL FIBERS WHILE OBTAINING HIGH OPTICAL QUALITY AND STABLE DIAMETER. DURING PHASE I, LASERGENICS WILL DESIGN, FABRICATE, AND ASSEMBLE A SPOOLING MECHANISM TO BE INCORPORATED INTO A LHPG GROWTH APPARATUS. WITH THE MODIFIED LHPG GROWTH APPARATUS, AN ASSORTMENT OF SAPPHIRE FIBER LENGTHS OF SEVERAL DIAMETERS WILL BE GROWN. THE MINIMUM LENGTHS WILL BE 5 METERS. THESESAMPLES WILL BE TESTED FOR DIAMETER VARIATIONS AND TRANSMISSION.