Effect of surface finish on the high-power transmission characteristics of fused-silica optical fibers

Martin W. Greenaway; William G. Proud; John E. Field; S. G. Goveas; R. C. Drake

doi:10.1117/12.425063

12 April 2001 Effect of surface finish on the high-power transmission characteristics of fused-silica optical fibers

Martin W. Greenaway, William G. Proud, John E. Field, S. G. Goveas, R. C. Drake

Proceedings Volume 4347, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2000; (2001) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.425063
Event: Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2000, 2000, Boulder, CO, United States

Abstract

At high optical power densities, materials that would normally be classed transparent, break down. The mechanisms by which high purity fused silica optical fibers fail are discussed in this paper. Multimode fibers with a core diameter of 400 micrometers have been tested with a Nd:YAG laser with a view to transmitting the maximum amount of energy. The importance of surface finish has been verified by implementing polishing schedules of varying degrees. The front face of many of the fibers would be improved during laser testing, due to plasma formation which acts to anneal the surface. It has been found that the energy level at which this effect first occurs gives a good indication of the initial surface roughness. Atomic force microscopy has been used to confirm surface roughness measurements as low as 3 nm and excellent agreement between high power transmittance and surface quality has been found.

Citation Download Citation

Martin W. Greenaway, William G. Proud, John E. Field, S. G. Goveas, and R. C. Drake "Effect of surface finish on the high-power transmission characteristics of fused-silica optical fibers", Proc. SPIE 4347, Laser-Induced Damage in Optical Materials: 2000, (12 April 2001); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.425063

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