Optical fibers made of fused silica have many applications like telecom, industrial, medical, or spectroscopy. These applications are as varied as are the requirements for the fibers. Large core step index multimode fibers made of high purity fused silica core and fluorine doped silica cladding are common standard in industrial high-power laser, minimal invasive medical and spectroscopic applications. One of the biggest factors influencing fiber performance is the utilized fused silica core material and its composition. Hydroxyl groups and trace impurities, for example, can influence the transmission properties of the fiber. But also, defect centers created by strong UV radiation or drawing induced absorption bands define the performance over time. Therefore, the choice of the right material is key for high performing fibers. In addition, the height of the refractive index step between the core and the cladding, which defines the numerical aperture, as well as the cladding thickness and cross section design of the fiber are important factors which should be balanced against performance and costs. Depending on the application wavelengths and performance requirements, different fused silica materials and fiber designs are recommended tailored to the application. We will present deeper insights in the optical properties of different fused silica materials and new silica material developments dedicated for the increasing utilization of blue and green lasers to give a guideline to choose the best fiber type depending on the application wavelengths.
Plasma outside deposition (POD) allows the incorporation of high fluorine contents in silica glass to manufacture multi-mode fibers. Due to all silica design and excellent material attributes, these so-called Fluosil fibers cover a wide spectrum of applications over a broad wavelength rage from UV to NIR including medical laser surgery, industrial materials processing, automotive, sensing, spectroscopy, and fiber bundles. These characteristics have allowed fiber designs to become more and more sophisticated in recent years. An overview of the current capabilities, characterization techniques, and fiber trends will be presented. Heraeus supports these new developments by offering a growing number of materials, preforms and services.
Space bound as well as earthbound spectroscopy of extra-terrestrial objects finds its challenge in light sources with low intensities. High transmission for every optical element along the light path requires optical materials with outstanding performance to enable the measurement of even a one-photon event. Using the Lunar Laser Ranging Project and the LIGO and VIRGO Gravitational Wave Detectors as examples, the influence of the optical properties of fused silica will be described. The Visible and Infrared Surveillance Telescope for Astronomy (VISTA) points out the material behavior in the NIR regime, where the chemical composition of optical materials changes the performance. Special fibers are often used in combination with optical elements as light guides to the spectroscopic application. In an extended spectral range between 350 and 2,200 nm Heraeus developed STU fiber preforms dedicated for broad band spectroscopy in astronomy. STU fibers in the broad spectral range as well as SSU fibers for UV transmission (180 – 400 nm) show also high gamma radiation resistance which allows space applications.
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