Characterization of single-mode chalcogenide optical fiber for mid-infrared applications

Kannan Krishnaswami; Hong (Amy) Qiao; Bruce E. Bernacki; Norman C. Anheier Jr.

doi:10.1117/12.818184

6 May 2009 Characterization of single-mode chalcogenide optical fiber for mid-infrared applications

Kannan Krishnaswami, Hong (Amy) Qiao, Bruce E. Bernacki, Norman C. Anheier Jr.

Proceedings Volume 7325, Laser Technology for Defense and Security V; 73250Z (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.818184
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2009, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

Chalcogenide fibers display a wide transmission window ranging from 2-10.6 μm, ideally suited to the development of passive and active mid-infrared (MIR) sensors. They are essential building blocks for the integration and miniaturization of laser-based MIR optical systems for terrestrial, airborne and space-based sensing platforms. Single-mode chalcogenide fibers have only recently become commercially available and therefore performance data and standard reproducible processing techniques have not been widely reported. In this paper we present a method for producing high quality cleaved facets on commercial single-mode As-Se fibers with core and cladding diameters of 28μm and 170μm respectively. The emitted beam profile from these fibers, using the 9.4μm line of a tunable CO₂ laser, showed the presence of leaky cladding modes due to waveguiding conditions created by the protective acrylate jacket. These undesirable cladding modes were easily suppressed by applying a gallium coating on the cladding near both input and output facets. We provide experimental data showing efficient mode suppression and the emission of a circular nearperfect Gaussian beam profile from the fiber. Furthermore, analyses of the beam, acquired by scanning an HgCdTe detector, yielded a 1/e² numerical aperture of 0.11 with a full width half maximum divergence of 11° for these fibers. The availability of single-mode MIR fibers, in conjunction with recent advances in room temperature quantum cascade lasers (QCL), could provide compact and light-weight transmitter solutions for several critical defense and nuclear nonproliferation needs.

Citation Download Citation

Kannan Krishnaswami, Hong (Amy) Qiao, Bruce E. Bernacki, and Norman C. Anheier Jr. "Characterization of single-mode chalcogenide optical fiber for mid-infrared applications", Proc. SPIE 7325, Laser Technology for Defense and Security V, 73250Z (6 May 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.818184

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