Optical Damage Limits to Pulse Energy From Fibers

• Published in: IEEE journal of selected topics in quantum electronics Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 153 - 158
• Main Authors: Smith, A.V., Do, B.T., Hadley, G.R., Farrow, R.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01-01-2009; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Brillouin scattering; Brillouin zone; Damage; Doped fiber amplifiers; Fiber lasers; Fiber nonlinear optics; Nonlinearity; Optical fiber amplifiers; Optical fibers; Optical pulses; Optical scattering; Pulse amplifiers; Quantum electronics; Scattering; Silicon compounds; Stimulated emission; Thresholds
• ISSN: 1077-260X; 1558-4542
• DOI: 10.1109/JSTQE.2008.2010331

The irradiances or fluences encountered in pulsed fiber lasers and amplifiers are sometimes high enough to destroy the fiber. The ultimate limit is set by the intrinsic damage threshold irradiance of doped silica. Other nonlinear processes such as self-focusing and stimulated Brillouin scattering are also important. We present here the results of our measurements of the damage threshold, and of our analysis of how self-focusing and Brillouin scattering influence the power limit.