Description
Ceramic fiber optics possess many characteristics beneficial to the telecommunications industry. Glass fibers are now replacing metal wires in communications because of their light weight, microscopic size and ability to carry significantly greater numbers of signals at high speeds.

A single pair of optical fibers, scarcely thicker than human hair, can transmit over 50,000 telephone conversations simultaneously with no interference and little resistance, compared to only 24 telephone conversations in metal wires.

Ceramic fiber optics are mainly used in telecommunications; however, they're also being utilized more in the cable television industry. The result is greater reliability and clarity of video signals.

The following individuals may be contacted regarding ceramic applications in fiber optics.

James W. Fleming
Distinguished Member of Technical Staff
Lucent Technologies-Bell Labs
700 Mountain Ave., Rm. 7E-224
Murray Hill, NJ 07974
908/582-4499 (phone) • 908/582-2913 (fax) • jwf@lucent.com
Background: Fleming has 28 years experience in optical fiber processing and characterization. He holds more than 90 patents in optical fiber design and processing and has experience with most technologies used in fiber optic manufacture today. He currently performs research in optical fibers at Lucent Technologies-Bell Laboratories.

Dr. Eva M. Vogel
Consultant
77 Evergreen Dr.
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
908/464-0218 (phone). eva.vogel@gmail.com
Background: Vogel's expertise is in glass and ceramic materials for telecommunications. She worked on high optical power fiber amplifiers and fiber lasers for free space application. She also has experience working on the reliability and quality assurance of fiber optic components for telecommunications.

Alexis Clare
NYS College of Ceramics at Alfred University
2 Pine St.
Alfred, NY 14802
607/871-2368 (phone) • 607/871-2392 • clare@alfred.edu (e-mail)
Background: Clare specializes in the field of glass science. She has studied specifically, biological interactions and applications of glass such as porous glasses as vehicles for gene therapy. In addition, Clare's areas of interest also include optical properties of glass as well as structure and properties of glass.

Charles R. Kurkjian
Retired
Rutgers University, FOMRP
607 Taylor Road
Piscataway, N.J. 08854
732/445-4534 (phone) • 732/445-4545 (fax) • ckurkjia@aol.com (e-mail)
Background: Kurkjian works in the area of glass with an expertise in mechanical properties, especially of optical fibers. His most recent work includes studying the reliability of optical fibers and components.