Quantitative evaluation of fiber fuse initiation with exposure to arc discharge provided by a fusion splicer.

The optical communication industry and power-over-fiber applications face a dilemma as a result of the expanding demand of light power delivery and the potential risks of high-power light manipulation including the fiber fuse phenomenon, a continuous destruction of the fiber core pumped by the propagating light and triggered by a heat-induced strong absorption of silica glass. However, we have limited knowledge on its initiation process in the viewpoint of energy flow in the reactive area. Therefore, the conditions required for a fiber fuse initiation in standard single-mode fibers were determined quantitatively, namely the power of a 1480 nm fiber laser and the arc discharge intensity provided by a fusion splicer for one second as an outer heat source. Systematic investigation on the energy flow balance between these energy sources revealed that the initiation process consists of two steps; the generation of a precursor at the heated spot and the transition to a stable fiber fuse. The latter step needs a certain degree of heat accumulation at the core where waveguide deformation is ongoing competitively. This method is useful for comparing the tolerance to fiber fuse initiation among various fibers with a fixed energy amount that was not noticed before.

Propagation mechanism of polymer optical fiber fuse.

A fiber fuse phenomenon in polymer optical fibers (POFs) has recently been observed, and its unique properties such as slow propagation, low threshold power density, and the formation of a black oscillatory damage curve, have been reported. However, its characterization is still insufficient to well understand the mechanism and to avoid the destruction of POFs. Here, we present detailed experimental and theoretical analyses of the POF fuse propagation. First, we clarify that the bright spot is not a plasma but an optical discharge, the temperature of which is ~3600 K. We then elucidate the reasons for the oscillation of the damage curve along with the formation of newly-observed gas bubbles as well as for the low threshold power density. We also present the idea that the POF fuse can potentially be exploited to offer a long photoelectric interaction length.

In situ observation of modulated light emission of fiber fuse synchronized with void train over hetero-core splice point.

BACKGROUND: Fiber fuse is a process of optical fiber destruction under the action of laser radiation, found 20 years ago. Once initiated, opical discharge runs along the fiber core region to the light source and leaves periodic voids whose shape looks like a bullet pointing the direction of laser beam. The relation between damage pattern and propagation mode of optical discharge is still unclear even after the first in situ observation three years ago. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Fiber fuse propagation over hetero-core splice point (Corning SMF-28e and HI 1060) was observed in situ. Sequential photographs obtained at intervals of 2.78 micros recorded a periodic emission at the tail of an optical discharge pumped by 1070 nm and 9 W light. The signal stopped when the discharge ran over the splice point. The corresponding damage pattern left in the fiber core region included a segment free of periodicity. CONCLUSIONS: The spatial modulation pattern of the light emission agreed with the void train formed over the hetero-core splice point. Some segments included a bullet-shaped void pointing in the opposite direction to the laser beam propagation although the sequential photographs did not reveal any directional change in the optical discharge propagation.

Fabrication of hierarchically porous spherical particles by assembling mesoporous silica nanoparticles via spray drying.

A new type of hierarchically porous materials is fabricated by assembling mesoporous nanoparticles via spray drying. Well-dispersed mesostructured silica nanoparticles (MSN), whose particle size distribution was narrow in the range of 20 nm and 50 nm, were prepared by a thermal deposition method. By spray drying a MSN suspension, MSN were assembled into spherical secondary particles. After calcination, the spherical particles have two types of mesopores, mesopores of 3 nm in size inside of calcined MSN and larger inter-nanoparticle mesopores of about 15-20 nm. This hierarchical pore system should provide nanospaces for efficient mass transport of guest species with different sizes.

Animation of fiber fuse damage, demonstrating periodic void formation.

A series of optical micrographs showing the front region of fiber fuse damage were obtained to reveal the periodic void formation process. They were collected from a number of samples and were sorted in order of increasing distance between the top of the first large void and the top of the first regular void. The micrographs clearly show that the first large void sheds its tail, which shrinks to form a regular void. This mechanism leads to the formation of bullet-shaped regular voids as the result of the balance between the internal pressure of the optical discharge and the increasing viscosity of the surrounding glass that occurs during pinching off.

Origin of periodic void formation during fiber fuse.

An optical discharge running through a single-mode silica glass fiber during fiber fuse was observed and the front part of the generated damage was examined. Their pump power dependences were investigated using a 1.48 mum laser light at powers ranging from 1.1 to 9.0 W. Periodic voids were left by an optical discharge that was in a cavity with a tail. The tail appears because the optical discharge is strongly enclosed in core region. Another mode of periodic void formation was found at near the threshold pump power for fiber fuse propagation. The optical discharge in this case also forms a transient tail during the void formation cycle.

Transient propagation mode of fiber fuse leaving no voids.

Fiber fuse ignition and self-termination through a single-mode silica glass fiber pumped by 1480 nm light were observed in situ. The formation of void-free segments is discussed on the basis of examinations of corresponding damage sites and in comparison with known periodic void formation. As an optical discharge pumped at near the propagation threshold power loses its energy, it frequently emits a light pulse instead of forming periodic voids. A similar mode was found just before a stable optical discharge appeared during fiber fuse ignition. This transient mode conversion is the origin of the previously reported irregular void patterns.