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Controlled modification and direct characterization of multimode-fiber refractive-index profiles
Brant C Gibson1, Shane T Huntington, John D Love
1Department of Electonic Engineering, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. b.gibson@ee.latrobe.edu.au
Applied Optics
|February 5, 2003
Summary
Controlled annealing and scanning probe microscopy (SPM) reconfigure silica optical fiber
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Optical Engineering
- Sensor Technology
Background:
- Silica-based optical fibers are widely used in telecommunications.
- Refractive index profiling is crucial for optical fiber functionality.
- Evanescent field sensing requires precise control over the fiber's optical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the reconfiguration of a silica-based optical fiber's refractive index profile.
- To adapt optical fibers for use as evanescent field sensors.
- To investigate the impact of controlled annealing on fiber properties.
Main Methods:
- Controlled annealing of silica-based optical fibers.
- Characterization using scanning probe microscopy (SPM).
- Differential etching techniques for dopant redistribution analysis.
Main Results:
- Accurate reconfiguration of the refractive index profile was achieved.
- Controlled relocation of silica glass dopants was observed.
- Variable annealing created a mode transformer for light coupling.
Conclusions:
- The developed method enables precise refractive index profile modification.
- Reconfigured fibers are suitable for evanescent field sensing applications.
- SPM and annealing offer a viable approach for optical fiber functionalization.