Nanosecond laser-induced surface damage of optical multimode fibers and their preforms

High-power optical multimode fibers are essential components for materials processing and surgery and can limit the performance of expensive systems due to breakdown at the end faces. The aim of this paper is the determination of laser-induced damage thresholds (LIDT) of fibers (FiberTech) and preforms (Heraeus Suprasil F300). Preforms served as models. They were heated up to maximum temperatures of 1100, 1300 and 1500°C and cooled down to room temperature at rates of 10 K min⁻¹ (oven) and ∼10⁵ K min⁻¹ (quenched in air) to freeze in various structural states simulating different conditions similar to a drawing process during the production of fibers. Single- and multi-pulse LIDT measurements were done in accordance with the relevant ISO standards. Nd:YAG laser pulses with durations of 15 ns (1064 nm wavelength) and 8.5 ns (532 nm) at a repetition rate of 10 Hz were used. For the preforms, LIDT values (1-on-1) ranged from 220 to 350 J/cm² (1064 nm) and from 80 to 110 J/cm² (532 nm), respectively. A multi-pulse impact changed the thresholds to lower values. The LIDT (1064 nm wavelength) of the preforms can be regarded as a lower limit for those of the fibers.     

Axial refractive index depression in preforms and fibers

The refractive index depression that exists along the axis in modified chemical vapor deposited (MCVD) preforms and fibers doped mainly with GeO₂ or P₂O₅ is studied by interference microscopy. The index profile of a preform, determined as a function of its transition from the uncollapsed to the fully collapsed state, shows that this central region is fully depleted of dopant and has an index value corresponding to that of the pure fused silica cladding. The same results are found in samples taken from six preform tips and from a relatively large fiber, indicating that this effect is a general property of an uncompensated fabrication process. Implications for its influence on the fiber's transmission properties are discussed.     

Index profile measurement of asymmetrical elliptical preforms or fibers

An extension of the beam-deflection method to the case of elliptical preforms with eccentric core (asymmetrical elliptical preforms) is presented, which can be easily implemented on automatic measurement equipment.     

Fused preforms for the fabrication of photonic crystal fibers

A novel approach for the fabrication of high-quality preforms for use in the fabrication of photonic crystal fibers is described. The preforms are fabricated in a multistep process that involves stacking a bundle with rods and (or) tubes of two dissimilar glasses, fusing the bundle, and then etching the fused bundle in acid to remove one of the two glasses. The procedure for fabrication of the fused preforms is similar to that used in the fabrication of microchannel plate glass and yields periodically spaced, uniform, round channels that extend through the length of the preform.     

Residual stress profiles in optical fibers determined by the two-waveplate-compensator method

Stress-induced birefringence impacts the performance of many optical devices. Techniques are needed to measure accurately stress profiles in optical fibers. The two-waveplate-compensator (TWC) method allows the accurate measurement of small retardations. The full-field TWC method is applied here to measure the two-dimensional retardation distribution of single-mode fibers with a spatial resolution of 0.45 μm and a sensitivity of 0.07 nm. Axial stress profiles are hence determined along the axis of the fiber. The stress profiles determined with the TWC method are in good agreement with profiles previously reported in the literature while containing less noise and resolving more details.     

Index profile measurement of asymmetrical elliptical preforms or fibers

An extension of the beam-deflection method to the case of elliptical preforms with eccentric core (asymmetrical elliptical preforms) is presented, which can be easily implemented on automatic measurement equipment.     

Interesting effect of optical Kerr nonlinearity in expanding single-mode regime of optical fibers using dispersion-flattened profiles

An interesting effect of optical Kerr nonlinearity is reported from theoretical investigation on the fundamental and first higher mode cutoff frequencies in single-mode fibers doped with highly nonlinear materials like CdS_xSe_1−x with W-type dispersion-flattened profiles. It is observed that whereas the single-mode regime decreases absolutely for dispersion-shifted profiles due to reduction of the first higher order mode cutoff frequency as is evident from earlier studies, it increases for W-type profiles for such nonlinearity taking its effect on the nonzero fundamental mode cutoff frequency into consideration. Thus, one can go further down below the fundamental mode cutoff frequency while using W-fibers in single mode nonlinear fiber devices involving evanescent field coupling in the low V region.     

Anisotropy of graphite optical conductivity

The graphite conductivity is evaluated for frequencies between 0.1 eV, the energy of the order of the electronhole overlap, and 1.5 eV, the electron nearest hopping energy. The in-plane conductivity per single atomic sheet is close to the universal graphene conductivity e ²/4ħ and, however, contains a singularity conditioned by peculiarities of the electron dispersion. The conductivity is less in the c direction by the factor of the order of 0.01 governed by electron hopping in this direction.     

Core-suction technique for the fabrication of optical fiber preforms

A novel technique, named "core suction," for fabricating optical fiber preforms has been devised. The technique involves drawing the molten nonconventional core glass material into the cladding tube to form the preform. The developed technique is simple, inexpensive, and shows great potential for fabricating preforms of highly nonlinear nonconventional glasses as the core material. Preforms were made with Schott SF6 and a lead-tellurium-germanate glass in silica cladding tubes, and these preforms were then pulled into fibers.     

Nondestructive index profile measurement of noncircular optical fibre preforms

We present quantitative results for the effect of noncircularity on a method recently proposed by Chu for the measurement of the refractive index profile of an optical fibre preform. Analytical studies show how Chu's method can be applied to elliptical preforms.     

Ultraviolet-induced absorption losses in hydrogen-loaded optical fibers and in presensitized optical fibers

Reduced hydroxyl formation in presensitized fibers exposed to cw 244-nm light after hydrogen outdiffusion is reported. The OH band in the presensitized fiber shifts toward 1390 nm. In the fully hydrogen-loaded fiber the OH band is centered at 1397 nm and does not shift with fluence.     

Anisotropy in the Compton profiles of Nb and NbH0.76

The Compton profiles of Nb and NbH_0.76 single crystals have been measured along [100] and [110] using 412 keV gamma-radiation from a¹⁹⁸Au source. The changes in the band electron profile of the metal following the introduction of hydrogen are interpreted in terms of the protonic model of the hydride. Qualitative changes in the directional profiles can be understood within the rigid band approximation.     

Four-wave mixing in non-step-index optical fibers: a sensitive technique for measurement of refractive-index profiles

Investigation of four-wave mixing 6.4-mum core-diameter fiber with 520-610-nm pump light is used to develop a new technique for characterizing the refractive-index profiles of non-step-index fibers. Deviation from the step-index profile is measured. Small variations in the refractive index between different segments of the same commercial fiber is measured with a sensitivity of 0.0001.     

Anisotropy of infrared optical absorption in layered superconductors

We analyze the problem of infrared optical absorption in a clean layered London superconductor in the vicinity of the gap =2. We conclude that absorption of light with wave vectorqc is enhanced over ordinary Drude absorption (qc) due to resonance absorption (Landau damping). Experimental absorption studies with qc might therefore improve chances to observe a superconducting gap in the high-T _c superconductors.     

Anisotropy of optical absorption and luminescent properties of CaMoO4

Optical absorption, excitation and emission spectra, as well as photoluminescence decay time of CaMoO₄ single crystals have been measured. It has been revealed that annealing of crystals in oxygen atmosphere leads to the disappearance of their anisotropic behavior in optical absorption, as well as in X-ray luminescence and decay time. Moreover, it has been found that annealing can significantly affect the value of the decay time. The relative intensity of the long-wavelength emission band increases under excitation in the region of indirect band-to-band transitions.     

Bending-induced optical loss in random-hole optical fibers

We present the experimentally determined optical bend loss for random hole optical fibers in the spectral range 1520 to 1570 nm induced by wrapping the optical fiber around a fixed diameter mandrel. The optical losses are compared to those obtained for a single-mode fiber and a multimode fiber using the same bending procedures. The bending induced optical losses in the random hole optical fibers were several orders of magnitude lower than for the single-mode fiber and were about 1 order of magnitude lower than for the multimode fiber.     

Twisted optical fibers sustaining propagation of optical vortices

The mode structure (the orbital number l = 1) of a few-mode weakly guiding optical fiber with high linear birefringence and a regular twist of its anisotropy axes is investigated. It is shown that, for certain values of twist pitch, the modes with l = 1 are almost pure linearly polarized optical vortices in the local coordinate system associated with the anisotropy axes. The range of values of twist pitch in which twisted fibers sustain propagation of linearly polarized optical vortices is determined numerically.     

Generation of optical vortices in multihelical optical fibers

It is theoretically demonstrated that multihelical fibers are capable to change the topological charge of the incoming field by l units in the transmitted and reflected light. The magnitude of the change in the topological charge coincides with the number of coaxial helicoids forming the fiber core. This can be used in designing generators of optical vortices (OVs) from Gaussian beams: broadband ones in transmitted light and narrowband ones in reflected light.     

Solar hypersensitization of optical fibers

Hydrogen-loaded fibers were exposed to solar radiation for 20 days, in which time the hydrogen was allowed to out-diffuse. Gratings written in these fibers show an increased photosensitivity compared with pristine fibers. Results show the solar radiation has a similar effect on both stripped and unstripped fibers. This work agrees with the fundamental process of using low fluence, long UV sources to photosensitize hydrogen-loaded, germanium-doped fibers.