A Yb-doped phosphate glass double cladding optical fiber was prepared using a custom designed glass composition (P₂O₅ - Al₂O₃ - Li₂O - B₂O₃ - BaO - PbO - La₂O₃) for high-power amplifier and laser applications. The preform drawing method was followed, with the preform being fabricated using the rotational casting technique. This technique, previously developed for tellurite, fluoride or chalcogenide glass preforms is reported for the first time using rare earth doped phosphate glasses. The main challenge was to design an adequate numerical aperture between first and second cladding while maintaining similar thermo-mechanical properties in view of the fiber drawing process. The preform used for the fiber drawing was produced by rod-in-tube technique at a rotation speed of 3000 rpm. The rotational casting technique allowed the manufacturing of an optical fiber featuring high quality interfaces between core and internal cladding and between the internal and external cladding, respectively. Loss attenuation was measured using the cut-back method and lasing was demonstrated at 1022 nm by core pumping with a fiber pigtailed laser diode at the wavelength of 976 nm.

Date Published: 26 February 2013
PDF: 7 pages
Proc. SPIE 8601, Fiber Lasers X: Technology, Systems, and Applications, 860126 (26 February 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2002059

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8601:
Fiber Lasers X: Technology, Systems, and Applications
Sami T. Hendow, Editor(s)