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Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Diffusion and interface effects during preparation of all-solid microstructured fibers
    (Basel : MDPI AG, 2014) Kobelke, J.; Bierlich, J.; Wondraczek, K.; Aichele, C.; Pan, Z.; Unger, S.; Schuster, K.; Bartelt, H.
    All-solid microstructured optical fibers (MOF) allow the realization of very flexible optical waveguide designs. They are prepared by stacking of doped silica rods or canes in complex arrangements. Typical dopants in silica matrices are germanium and phosphorus to increase the refractive index (RI), or boron and fluorine to decrease the RI. However, the direct interface contact of stacking elements often causes interrelated chemical reactions or evaporation during thermal processing. The obtained fiber structures after the final drawing step thus tend to deviate from the targeted structure risking degrading their favored optical functionality. Dopant profiles and design parameters(e.g., the RI homogeneity of the cladding) are controlled by the combination of diffusion and equilibrium conditions of evaporation reactions. We show simulation results of diffusion and thermal dissociation in germanium and fluorine doped silica rod arrangements according to the monitored geometrical disturbances in stretched canes or drawn fibers. The paper indicates geometrical limits of dopant structures in sub-μm-level depending on the dopant concentration and the thermal conditions during the drawing process. The presented results thus enable an optimized planning of the preform parameters avoiding unwanted alterations in dopant concentration profiles or in design parameters encountered during the drawing process.
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    Nanoscopic tip sensors fabricated by gas phase etching of optical glass fibers
    (Heidelberg : Springer, 2012) Bierlich, J.; Kobelke, J.; Brand, D.; Kirsch, K.; Dellith, J.; Bartelt, H.
    Silica-based fiber tips are used in a variety of spectroscopic, micro- or nano-scopic optical sensor applications and photonic micro-devices. The miniaturization of optical sensor systems and the technical implementation using optical fibers can provide new sensor designs with improved properties and functionality for new applications. The selective-etching of specifically doped silica fibers is a promising method in order to form complex photonic micro structures at the end or within fibers such as tips and cavities in various shapes useful for the all-fiber sensor and imaging applications. In the present study, we investigated the preparation of geometrically predefined, nanoscaled fiber tips by taking advantage of the dopant concentration profiles of highly doped step-index fibers. For this purpose, a gas phase etching process using hydrofluoric acid (HF) vapor was applied. The shaping of the fiber tips was based on very different etching rates as a result of the doping characteristics of specific optical fibers. Technological studies on the influence of the etching gas atmosphere on the temporal tip shaping and the final geometry were performed using undoped and doped silica fibers. The influence of the doping characteristics was investigated in phosphorus-, germanium-, fluorine- and boron-doped glass fibers. Narrow exposed as well as protected internal fiber tips in various shapes and tip radiuses down to less than 15 nm were achieved and characterized geometrically and topologically. For investigations into surface plasmon resonance effects, the fiber tips were coated with nanometer-sized silver layers by means of vapour deposition and finally subjected to an annealing treatment.
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    Length distributed measurement of temperature effects in Yb-doped fibers during pumping
    (Bellingham : SPIE, 2014) Leich, M.; Fiebrandt, J.; Schwuchow, A.; Jetschke, S.; Unger, S.; Jäger, M.; Rothhardt, M.; Bartelt, H.
    We demonstrate a distributed measurement technique to observe temperature changes along pumped Yb-doped fibers. This technique is based on an array of fiber Bragg gratings acting as a temperature sensor line. The Bragg gratings are inscribed directly into the Yb-doped fiber core using high-intensity ultrashort laser pulses and an interferometric setup. We studied the temperature evolution in differently co-doped Yb fibers during optical pumping and identified different effects contributing to the observed temperature increase. We found that preloading of fibers with hydrogen supports the formation of Yb2+ during UV irradiation and has a large impact on fiber temperature during pumping. The proposed technique can be applied to investigate the homogeneity of pump absorption in active fibers and to support spatially resolved photodarkening measurements.
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    Strain sensitivity enhancement in suspended core fiber tapers
    (Heidelberg : Springer, 2013) André, R.M.; Silva, S.O.; Becker, M.; Schuster, K.; Rothardt, M.; Bartelt, H.; Marques, M.B.; Frazão, O.
    Suspended core fiber tapers with different cross sections (with diameters from 70 μm to 120 μm) are produced by filament heating. Before obtaining the taper, the spectral behavior of the suspended core fiber is a multimode interference structure. When the taper is made, an intermodal interference between a few modes is observed. This effect is clearly visible for low taper core dimensions. Since the core and cladding do not collapse, two taper regions exist, one in the core and the other in the cladding. The cladding taper does not affect the light transmission, only the core is reduced to a microtaper. The spectral response of the microtaper based-suspended core fiber is similar to a beat of two interferometers. The strain is applied to the microtaper, and with the reduction in the transverse area, an increase in sensitivity is observed. When the taper is immersed in a liquid with a different index of refraction or subjected to temperature variations, no spectral change occurs.
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    Micro-structured fiber interferometer as sensitive temperature sensor
    (Heidelberg : Springer, 2013) Favero, F.C.; Becker, M.; Spittel, R.; Rothhardt, M.; Kobelke, J.; Bartelt, H.
    We report on a fast and sensitive temperature sensor using a micro-structured or photonic crystal fiber interferometer with a high germanium doped fiber core. The wavelength sensitivity for temperature variation was as high as δλ/δT= 78 pm/ C up to 500 C, which was 6 times more sensitive than the fiber Bragg grating temperature sensitivity of δλ/δT= 13 pm/ C at 1550 nm. The sensor device was investigated concerning the sensitivity characteristics and response time.
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    Arrays of regenerated fiber bragg gratings in non-hydrogen-loaded photosensitive fibers for high-temperature sensor networks
    (Basel : MDPI, 2009) Lindner, E.; Chojetztki, C.; Brueckner, S.; Becker, M.; Rothhardt, M.; Vlekken, J.; Bartelt, H.
    We report about the possibility of using regenerated fiber Bragg gratings generated in photosensitive fibers without applying hydrogen loading for high temperature sensor networks. We use a thermally induced regenerative process which leads to a secondary increase in grating reflectivity. This refractive index modification has shown to become more stable after the regeneration up to temperatures of 600 °C. With the use of an interferometric writing technique, it is possible also to generate arrays of regenerated fiber Bragg gratings for sensor networks. © 2009 by the authors.