Spatial beam reshaping and large-band nonlinear conversion in rectangular-core phosphate glass fibers.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics
• Photonics

Background:

• Developing novel optical fibers with unique geometries is crucial for advanced photonic applications.
• Neodymium (Nd³⁺)-doped glasses offer promising optical properties for light manipulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of fabricating Nd³⁺-doped zinc-phosphate glasses into rectangular core optical fibers.
• To explore the nonlinear optical properties and spectral broadening effects in these new fiber structures.

Main Methods:

• Physico-chemical properties of P₂O₅-based glasses with varying neodymium oxide concentrations were analyzed.
• A modified stack-and-draw technique was employed to create multimode large rectangular-core optical fibers.
• Nonlinear optical effects and spectral broadening were characterized in the visible and near-infrared regions.

Main Results:

• Successfully shaped Nd³⁺-doped zinc-phosphate glasses into rectangular core optical fibers.
• Demonstrated the capability of these fibers to support self-guided nonlinear effects.
• Observed significant spectral broadening in both visible and near-infrared domains due to spatial beam reshaping.

Conclusions:

• Nd³⁺-doped zinc-phosphate glasses are suitable for fabricating rectangular core optical fibers.
• These novel fibers exhibit unique nonlinear optical behavior, enabling spectral broadening.
• The developed photonic structures hold potential for applications in nonlinear optics and photonics.