Linear thermal expansion and refractive index variation have been measured in lead fluoride with a laser interferometer as a function of temperature. Data has been analyzed using the Lorentz-Lorenz relation. Molecular polarizability, band gap, variation of refractive index with density, and strain-polarizability parameter have been studied as a function of temperature. They exhibit a small variation with temperature except near the superionic phase transition where the variation appears to be more pronounced. The results are in good agreement with the published data near room temperature.

Materials and structures for efficient nonlinear devices are discussed in terms of Raman amplification, nonlinear switching, and self-organized gratings.

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to measure the Er, Al and P distributions across (perpendicular to) and along (parallel to) the axis of Er3+-doped silica based preforms and fibers prepared by a solution doping technique. Specially prepared low-melting silicate glass standards containing known concentrations of Er were used to calibrate the spectrometer to obtain a semi-quantitative measurement of the Er concentration. It was found that the Er concentration can vary along a 4-cm section of the preform by as much as a factor of two. The Al concentration also changed along the length of the preform, but to a smaller degree. Finally, instrumental limitations for measuring the Er, Al and P distributions in the optical fiber samples were determined.

Special fibres have been fabricated to demonstrate the potential of using multicomponent glass materials for sensors, devices and fibre lasers. High nonlinearity and large Verdet constants are confirmed for lead-silicate glass fibres. Nonlinear effects such as second harmonic generation (SHG), third harmonic generation (THG), electro-optic (EO) Kerr effect and optical switching are observed for F7 core glass fibres. Compound glasses are investigated as host glasses for fibre lasers and amplifiers. An all glass cladding pumped Nd-doped fibre laser from compound glassses is characterized.

Er3+-doped silica fibers have demonstrated excellent performance as active optical devices at 1.5 μm. In an effort to identify promising new hosts, we have measureed absorption and emission cross sections for a variety of Er3+-doped glass. Compositions have been identified which have advantages over silica, particularly for pumping with AIGaAs diode lasers at 800 nm.

Pump-excited-state-absorption (ESA) measurements on Er3+-doped phosphates, fluorophosphates, and silicate bulk glasses indicate that ESA cross sections are approximately equal to ground state absorption (GSA) cross sections in the 800-nm band. The oscillator strengths of the ESA and GSA bands are also approximately equal, in qualitative agreement with Judd-Ofelt calculations. Fluorozirconate samples were found to have substantial populations in the upper excited states for the measurement conditions used and ESA transitions originating from four excited states were identified. Fluorozirconate fiber amplifiers and lasers at 1.55 μm, therefore, would have decreased efficiency for 800-nm pumping.

We report infrared (IR) measurements of protons (H+), present as OH−, in KTiOPO4 grown by various techniques. The IR spectra are sensitive to the growth technique used. In high temperature hydrothermally grown crystals we observe IR bands which have strongly temperature dependent linewidths. The Arrhenius-type activation energies for these linewidths are small (6–15 meV). The IR bands are polarized and this information can aid in making OH− site assignments.

Trivalent thulium is a 4-level laser system which operates in the 1.47μm spectral region. A tunable amplifier at this wavelength is of great interest since it falls in one of the telecommunication windows. For lasing action to occur the relatively long lived 3F4 lower laser level must be quenched to eliminate the self-terminating behavior of thulium. Rosenblatt et al. co-doped Tm and Th into a ZBLAN host to quench the 3F4 lower laser level.[1] Co-doping with Ho offers the possibility of more efficient laser operation, but it must be established whether Ho can effectively quench the lower level of Tm. This preliminary study indicated appreciable energy transfer occurred from the 3F4 level of Tm to the 5I7 level of Ho which decreased the lower laser level lifetime by as much as two orders of magnitude. The subsequent decay of the Ho ions is an issue requiring further investigation.