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

Measurement of UV-induced absorption and scattering losses in photosensitive fibers

UV-assisted fabrication of gratings using photosensitive fibers is a well-established technique, based on the UV-induced permanent modification of the refractive index of the fiber material. As a result, the absorption coefficient is also changed. Here, we exploit the thermal sensitivity of whispering gallery mode resonances of the fiber itself to measure the profile of the heating along an irradiated fiber versus the input power and for different UV radiation intensities. Our technique allows discriminating between the absorption and scattering contributions to the overall losses, by comparing the results obtained with our technique with direct transmission measurements. Different photosensitive fibers are characterized by means of this technique. Nonuniform UV irradiation of photosensitive fibers can be characterized with this technique.

Fiber bragg gratings made with a phase mask and 800-nm femtosecond radiation

High-quality retroreflecting fiber Bragg gratings were written in standard Ge-doped telecom fiber (Corning SMF-28) after a few minutes exposure with pulsed 800-nm, 120-fs laser radiation by use of a deep-etch silica zero-order nulled phase mask optimized for 800 nm. Induced index modulations of 1.9 x 10(-3) were achieved with peak power intensities of 1.2 x 10(13) W/cm2 without any fiber sensitization. The fiber gratings are stable and did not erase after 2 weeks at 300 degrees C. The primary mechanism of induced index change results from a structural modification to the fiber core.

Thermal stability of the 248-nm-induced presensitization process in standard H2-loaded germanosilicate fibers

Grating growths through exposure of presensitized standard fibers to KrF light were recorded in various experimental condition. It is shown that there exists an optimum sensitization fluence at which the efficiency of the sensitization process is higher. Isochronal thermal annealing of pre-exposed fibers led to a decrease in the sensitization-induced enhancement of photosensitivity. IR-absorption spectroscopy was carried out in fibers or preform plates to monitor the attenuation ascribed to H-bearing species in the same samples. The annealing-induced decay in photosensitivity cannot be correlated with those of the H-bearing species in the whole temperature range (110 degrees C-800 degrees C). This indicates that the enhancement of photosensitivity comes from the transformation of more than one species.

Hypersensitization of rare-earth-doped waveguides for distributed-feedback amplifier and laser applications

Deterioration of the gain coefficient as a result of UV processing of hydrogen-loaded Er(3+) - and Er(3+)/Yb (3+) -doped silicate optical waveguides can be reduced by initial hypersensitization of the waveguide prior to bulk irradiation. This allows improved performance in active-grating devices such as distributed-feedback fiber amplifiers and lasers.

Low-temperature hypersensitization of phosphosilicate waveguides in hydrogen

Conventional hydrogen loading of phosphosilicate optical fibers at relatively low temperatures (80 degrees C) is sufficient to enhance the fiber's photosensitivity after hydrogen outdiffusion, allowing permanent Bragg grating structures to be produced. Thermal sensitization is proposed to be a major contributor to stable index change.