ABSTRACT
We ascertain by measuring the surface topography of a cleaved sample in which damage lines have been written in volume by scanning with a femtosecond laser, that matter shearing occur along the laser track with alternating sign (scissor or chiral effect). We note that the shearing in the head of the laser tracks change its sign with the change in scanning direction (pen effect or non reciprocal writing). We also show that nanostructures in the head are nano-shearing, with all the same sign whatever the direction of writing may be. We suggest that symmetries revealed by the shearing mimic the laser induced electron plasma density structures and inform on their unusual symmetries induced by the laser beam structures.
ABSTRACT
The diffraction efficiency of gratings written in ternary SnO2:SiO2:Na2O bulk glasses rises dramatically with time after the occultation of the cw 244nm light used to write the thick hologram. This self-induced behavior lasts for several hours and ultimately leads to refractive index changes as high as 3 10-3.
ABSTRACT
We reveal stress fields induced by femtosecond laser irradiation by investigating the topography of surface relaxation of a cleavage of silica plates in which irradiation was performed, varying intensity, laser polarization and displacement of the writing beam. The stress field appears to depend on the writing parameters differently according to the laser intensity. For pulse intensity larger than 0.1 microJ, a first shear stress developed. Above 0.25 microJ, another shear stress appears that is dependent on the direction of writing and coupling with a phase matching condition between the pump wave and the third harmonic.
ABSTRACT
It is reported that reversible changes in the reflectivity of Bragg gratings can be induced by a change in the temperature of the grating (77 K < T < K). The changes have proved to be greater in highly doped Ge fibers than in standard fibers, whereas they could hardly be detected in hydrogenated fibers. The sign of the change for type I gratings was opposite that for type IIA gratings. The changes are likely due to a temperature-induced increase (or a decrease) in the amplitude of the refractive-index modulation. Possible mechanisms for these changes in modulation are discussed. Interestingly for the purpose of correcting data of isothermal accelerated aging experiments, a numerical relation that accounts for the temperature-induced changes in type I grating reflectivity is given.
ABSTRACT
We compare the results of thermally induced isochronal and isothermal decays of fiber Bragg gratings written through cw exposure of an unloaded germanosilicate fiber. We show that isochronal step decays can be used to predict isothermal decays, provided that some corrections are carried out to take into account a reversible change in grating reflectivity induced by the increase of the fiber temperature. The isochronal accelerated-aging method enables one to sample most of the initial distribution of trapped site energies in a fairly short time. Taking advantage of this property of the method, we show that the initial distribution for a weak grating is similar to those for stronger gratings. The consequences of this observation are discussed within the framework of the various reaction pathway model.
ABSTRACT
Multiwavelength oscillations near 0.9 microm (i.e., 0.88-0.98 microm) have been obtained in a Nd(3+)-doped silica-based single-mode optical fiber. The laser pump wavelength is 1.064 microm, with an average pump power of approximately 1.8 GW/m(2). The observed emission rate has reached a few percent. We discuss the possibility that this fluorescence or perhaps superfluorescence arises by multiphoton absorption.
