Optical communications cables utilizing topological insulators as optical fiber cores
An optical core made from at least on topological insulator microfiber. A cryogenic cooling layer surrounds the optical core. An insulative layer surrounds the cryogenic cooling layer. In one embodiment, the insulative layer comprises a layer of photonic crystal material.
1. A data transmission cable, comprising:
an optical core made from at least one topological insulator microfiber;
a cryogenic cooling layer surrounding the optical core; and
an insulative layer comprising a plurality of photonic crystal beads surrounding the cryogenic cooling layer.
2. The data transmission cable of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the photonic crystal beads comprises a photonic crystal sphere.
3. The data transmission cable of claim 2 , wherein at least one photonic crystal sphere comprises a sidewall surrounding a space defining a vacuum environment.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein the photonic at least one crystal sphere has a 25 micron inner diameter.
5. The data transmission cable of claim 4 , wherein the sidewall of the at least one photonic crystal sphere has a thickness of 5 microns.
6. The data transmission cable of claim 1 , wherein the cryogenic cooling layer comprises at least one flexible tube defining a channel carrying a coolant.
7. The data transmission cable of claim 6 , wherein the coolant comprises liquid nitrogen.
8. The data transmission cable of claim 1 , wherein the optical core comprises at least one bundle of topological insulator microfibers.
9. The data transmission cable of claim 8 , wherein the at least one bundle comprise a plurality of topological insulator microfiber elements.
10. The data transmission cable of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of topological insulator microfiber elements comprises one of antimony, bismuth selenide, and bismuth telluride.
11. The data transmission cable of claim 9 , wherein the at least one bundle further comprises a core of insulating flexible cold resistant plastic within which the topological insulator microfibers are embedded.
12. A long-range data transmission cable, comprising:
an optical core made from topological insulator microfiber; and
at least one heat exchange layer surrounding the optical core to provide a cryogenic environment for the optical core, wherein the at least one heat exchange layer comprises an insulation layer including at least one photonic crystal bead.
13. The long-range data transmission cable of claim 12 , wherein the at least one heat exchange layer comprises a coolant layer.
14. The long-range data transmission cable of claim 13 , wherein the coolant layer comprises at least one tube containing a coolant that is in thermodynamic communication with the optical core.
15. The long-range data transmission cable of claim 14 , wherein the coolant comprises liquid nitrogen.
16. The long-range data transmission cable of claim 12 , wherein the insulation layer comprises a photonic crystal layer.
17. The long-range data transmission cable of claim 16 , wherein the photonic crystal layer comprises a plurality of photonic crystal spheres.
18. The data transmission cable of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the photonic crystal beads comprises a photonic crystal sphere with a Fluoropolyme coating.
19. The data transmission cable of claim 1 , wherein the photonic crystal beads comprise spherical and non-spherical shapes.
20. The long range data transmission cable of claim 12 , wherein the insulation layer contains a plurality of spherical photonic crystal beads and a plurality of non-spherical photonic crystal beads.