Coherent hollow-core waveguide bundles for infrared imaging

Abstract

Coherent IR fiber optic bundles for use in IR imaging from 2 to 12 µm are fabricated from rigid hollow-glass waveguide arrays. The bore of each hollow glass tube in the bundle is coated with thin films of metallic Ag followed by AgI for enhanced reflectivity. The coating of the rigid bundle is done using liquid phase chemistry techniques applied to all tubes simultaneously. The hollow-glass arrays are composed of up to 900 individual tubes with bore sizes as small as 50 µm. Several rigid hollow-core arrays are used to transmit an IR image of a small loop of hot wire and a sample of tissue heated by a CO2 laser.