Absorption of polarized 10.6-um CO2 laser radiation by fused silica optical fibers

Gerry A. Woolsey; D. W. Lamb

doi:10.1117/12.141251

5 March 1993 Absorption of polarized 10.6-um CO2 laser radiation by fused silica optical fibers

Gerry A. Woolsey, D. W. Lamb

Proceedings Volume 1795, Fiber Optic and Laser Sensors X; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.141251
Event: Fibers '92, 1992, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

A single-mode silica fiber placed normal to a polarized 10.6 micrometers CO₂ laser beam absorbs heat and the resultant temperature rise can be determined with an optical fiber interferometer. A theoretical analysis of the heat balance for the fiber provides an expression for fringe shift in terms of fiber parameters and the laser power absorbed by the fiber. An expression for the absorbed laser power is determined assuming a Gaussian distribution for the single-mode laser beam and using Fresnel's reflectance equations. This allows fringe shifts to be calculated for different fiber positions across the laser beam and for different directions of linear polarization of the beam relative to the fiber axis. A series of experimental measurements of interferometer fringe shift as a function of different fiber and beam parameters has been completed, and the results show good agreement with the theoretical predictions. The work reveals that an optical fiber can be used to monitor the details of a CO₂ laser beam, and that a CO₂ laser beam provides a controlled heating source for thermal studies involving optical fiber interferometry.

Citation Download Citation

Gerry A. Woolsey and D. W. Lamb "Absorption of polarized 10.6-um CO2 laser radiation by fused silica optical fibers", Proc. SPIE 1795, Fiber Optic and Laser Sensors X, (5 March 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.141251

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