Background technology
High-capacity optical fiber laser is to be actuating medium, to be the kind All Solid-State Lasers of pumping source with the semiconductor laser with rear-earth-doped doubly clad optical fiber.After people such as Snitzer in 1988 proposed the double clad laser fiber, fiber laser and the amplifier technological based on cladding pumping had obtained fast development.Particularly in recent years along with the development of optical fiber preparation technology and semiconductor laser, fiber laser obtains fast development.2005, the U.S., Britain, Germany and Japan realized that respectively the single fiber output power surpasses the kW magnitude.2009, American I PG photonics company single fiber was exported Da Wanwa magnitude, and has the beam quality of nearly diffraction limit.Because fiber laser good beam quality, efficient height and compact conformation, so important use is arranged in fields such as commercial Application, laser medicine and national defense and military such as high-precision laser welding, cuttings.But along with riseing of fiber laser power, the photon in the rare earth doped fiber fibre core is secretly changed effect and is become one of principal element of limit laser device life-span and stability.
After photon was secretly changed effect and shown as pump light pumping rare earth doped fiber, the output power of fiber laser reduced in time gradually.It is very remarkable at visible light wave range secretly to change the permanent optical absorption loss that effect induces by photon, and loss continues to increase with the increase of pumping time, after the experience long period, absorbs saturatedly, and loss tends towards stability.And the absorption afterbody of visible light wave range extends to near-infrared band, causes optical fiber also to prolong in time and increase in the loss of pumping wavelength and laser works wavelength, causes the fiber laser slope efficiency to reduce.It is being in the Active Optical Fiber of matrix with silicon dioxide that this phenomenon mostly occurs, at Yb dosed optical fiber, thulium doped fiber, mix praseodymium optical fiber and mix in the Active Optical Fibers such as europium optical fiber and observe, wherein secretly to change Study on Effect particularly extensive to mixing ytterbium quartz substrate optical fiber photon.
But the mechanism that photon is secretly changed the effect generation does not form final conclusion yet.Generally, the basic physical process that doped fiber is aging can attribution be the formation of colour center in the quartz substrate or the change of other photoinduction structure, like the radiation damage of polymer coating loss or high energy particle.Because darkization of photon is the fibre core added losses that caused by flashlight and pump light; So be easy to distinguish with the reduction of effect induced powers such as polymer coating loss or high energy particle radiation damage, the formation that present basic common recognition is a colour center finally causes photon secretly to change the generation of effect.And form the explanation of mechanism for colour center, mainly contain two kinds of viewpoints: a kind of viewpoint be the oxygen defect center be the precursor that forms of colour center (referring to S.Yoo, C.Basu; A.J.Boyland; Et.al., Photodarkening in Yb-doped aluminosilicate fibers induced by 488nm irradiation.Optics Letters, 2007.32 (12)); A kind of in addition is to think that electric charge shifts the change that causes the rare earth ion valence state and around oxygen coordination bond, forms the hole; Thereby bring out colour center generation (referring to M.Engholm, L.Norin, et.al.; Strong UV absorption and visible luminescence in ytterbium-doped aluminosilicate glass under UV excitation.Optics Letters, 2007.32 (22)).
Secretly change the stability that effect promotes fiber laser in order to reduce photon, existing numerous colleges and universities and research institution carry out relevant experiment and propose to suppress the approach of darkization of photon.
U.S. Pat-A-2000/6154598 discloses a kind of method that prevents the photoinduction loss.The mode of other rare earth suppresses transfer process to people such as Pavle Gavrilovic through having a mind to introduce in right amount, thereby increases the life-span of fiber laser.
U.S. Pat-2009/0011233-A1 proposes to promote the dark voltinism ability of anti-photon of active glass of optics and optical fiber through mixing the mode of phosphorus altogether.
U.S. Pat-2009/0231683-A1 proposes a kind of disposal route and secretly changes effect with the photon that suppresses in the ytterbium doped fiber.Processing mode is one or more irradiation Yb dosed optical fibers that adopt earlier in gamma ray, X ray or the electron beam, and the luminous energy that transmits in the optical fiber when irradiation energy is in laser generation greater than optical fiber makes optical fiber form the photoinduction defective.Subsequently, optical fiber is carried hydrogen handle, obtain to have the Yb dosed optical fiber that anti-photon is secretly changed effect.
People such as M.Engholm discover that mixing of cerium can promote the dark voltinism ability of photon in the Yb dosed optical fiber.They point out that routine mixes ytterbium silica fibre operation after 48 hours; Produce 40% unsaturation loss at the 978nm place, and the operation of the cerium ytterbium co-doped fiber of identical ytterbium doping content is after 8 hours, the saturation loss that produces 7-9% is (referring to M.Engholm; P.Jelger; Et al., Improved photodarkening resistivity in ytterbium-doped fiber lasers by cerium codoping.Optics Letters, 2009.34 (8): p.1285-1287.).Though being incorporated in of cerium reduced photon to a certain extent and secretly changed effect, the emission cross section of erbium/ytterbium rare earth ion, fluorescence lifetime etc. have all been produced adverse influence, make the slope efficiency of light laser instrument decrease.
People such as S.Yoo propose a kind of ytterbium dopen Nano crystal optical fibre that is used to reduce darkization of photon.This fiber core component is silicon dioxide, ytterbium oxide, yttria, aluminium oxide, phosphorous oxide, Lithia and baryta; Its performance optical fiber relative and the aluminosilicate component promotes 10 to 20 times (referring to S.Yoo; M.P.Kalita; Et al., Ytterbium-doped Y2O3nanoparticle silica optical fibers for high power fiber lasers with suppressed photodarkening.Optics Communications, 2010.).But the mechanical property of mixing meeting reduction optical fiber of materials such as phosphorus can cause the reduction of optical fiber damage threshold.And ruthenium ion introducing amount is higher in this document, in optical fiber, forms phase-splitting to a certain degree.
Secretly change limited problems such as fiber laser output power that effect causes and stability in order further to solve photon in the Active Optical Fiber, this patent proposes a kind of new Active Optical Fiber and preparation method thereof.Selected through fiber core cerium, yttrium, the new co-dopant component of aluminium, and confirm suitable agent concentration and the ratio of mixing altogether, the residing microenvironment of adjustment fiber core rare earth ion realizes that photon secretly changes the reduction of effect.And the zone of source ion and the design of CONCENTRATION DISTRIBUTION are arranged in the combination core structure, and reduce the overlap factor of fiber-optic signal light, pump light and active region, improving with this promotes the dark voltinism ability of anti-photon of optical fiber.
Summary of the invention
The object of the present invention is to provide the anti-photon of a kind of high-performance secretly to change optical fiber of effect and preparation method thereof.
The invention provides the Active Optical Fiber of kind of anti-darkization of photon; Its fibre core is a matrix with silicon dioxide, comprises at least a have source ion and co-dopant, and it is that atomic number is 57~71 rare earth ion that source ion is wherein arranged; It is characterized in that co-dopant is aluminium, yttrium and cerium ion.
Further; The molar percentage that source ion is arranged in the fibre core is 500ppm~15000ppm; It is 1: 0.05~1: 10 that the mol ratio of source ion and ruthenium ion is arranged, and the mol ratio that source ion and cerium ion are arranged is 1: 0.25~1: 8, and rare earth ion and aluminum ions mol ratio are 1: 3~1: 10.
Further, have in the fiber core that the CONCENTRATION DISTRIBUTION of source ion is that fibre core evenly mixes, annular step is mixed, annular gradient doping or circular dot matrix mix.
The present invention also provides a kind of preparation method of Active Optical Fiber of anti-darkization of photon, may further comprise the steps:
(1) in pure crystal reaction tube, feeds sulfur hexafluoride, the inwall of pure crystal reaction tube is carried out etch polishing handle;
(2) mixed gas of feeding silicon tetrachloride and oxygen in pure crystal reaction tube adopts 2 times coverings of forward depositional mode deposition;
(3) after the covering deposition finishes, in pure crystal reaction tube, feed silicon tetrachloride, oxygen and aluminum chloride, adopt 1 time sandwich layer of forward depositional mode deposition;
(4) with post-depositional reaction tube with containing source ion is arranged, the hydrochloride alcohol mixed liquid dipping of cerium and ruthenium ion is even;
(5) in pure crystal reaction tube, feed chlorine and oxygen, the throughput ratio of chlorine and oxygen is 1: 5-1: 10, reaction tube is dried processing;
(6) under the mixed atmosphere of chlorine, helium and oxygen with pure crystal reaction tube vitrifacation, temperature of reaction is 2000-2200 degree centigrade, chlorine flowrate is 5-50sccm, helium gas flow is 10-50sccm, oxygen flow is 50-300sccm;
(7) judge have whether the CONCENTRATION DISTRIBUTION of source ion is that fibre core evenly mixes, if directly get into step (8), otherwise repeating step (3) up to the preparation of accomplishing doped core, gets into step (8) to (6);
(8) at 2000-2200 degree centigrade, chlorine flowrate is 5-30sccm, and oxygen flow is that the rod that contracts under the atmosphere of 100-200sccm is accomplished the preparation of preform;
(9) Active Optical Fiber is processed in prepared preform drawing.
Beneficial effect of the present invention is:
1. the co-dopant that Active Optical Fiber of the present invention adopts is less to the damage threshold influence of optical fiber, has kept quartz substrate Active Optical Fiber high damage threshold characteristic, is more suitable in the high-power fiber laser of preparation than the Active Optical Fiber of mixing phosphorus altogether.
2. characteristics such as Active Optical Fiber absorption cross section of the present invention, emission cross section and fluorescence lifetime are almost identical with the Active Optical Fiber that the aluminium ytterbium is mixed altogether; The fiber laser of preparation still keeps the slope efficiency more than 80%; Greatly improved when choosing other fibre core component the problem that the fiber laser slope efficiency reduces.
3. the dark voltinism of anti-photon of Active Optical Fiber according to the invention can obtain greatly to promote, and the fiber laser of preparation has high stability and long serviceable life.The problem that output power constantly reduces can take place in the fiber laser of tradition Active Optical Fiber preparation in operational process, have at present and reduce by 20% bibliographical information, and the operation of this fiber laser is after 50 hours, and slope efficiency reduces less than 5%.
Embodiment
Describe the present invention below in conjunction with accompanying drawing and embodiment.
Active Optical Fiber of the present invention has new core structure, and this fibre core is a matrix with silicon dioxide, and comprises at least a have source ion and co-dopant, and wherein co-dopant is aluminium, yttrium and three kinds of ions of cerium.It is said that source ion is arranged is that atomic number is 57~71 rare earth ion.
The molar percentage that source ion is arranged in the said fibre core is that 500ppm is to 15000ppm; It is 1: 0.05 to 1: 10 that source ion and ruthenium ion mol ratio are arranged; It is 1: 0.25 to 1: 8 that source ion and cerium ion mol ratio are arranged, and total rare earth ion and aluminium ion mol ratio are 1: 3 to 1: 10.
The CONCENTRATION DISTRIBUTION that source ion is arranged in the fiber core can be that fibre core evenly mixes, annular step is mixed, annular gradient doping and circular dot matrix doping etc.Wherein fibre core evenly mixes and refers to that the source ion that has in the whole zone of fibre core has identical molar percentage; Shown in Fig. 2 (a), annular step is mixed and is referred to by several annular regions introducings source ion is arranged in the fibre core, and the active ion concentration in each zone is identical; Annular gradient doping refers in the fibre core to introduce by several annular regions shown in Fig. 2 (b) has source ion, and active ion concentration is gradual change in each zone; Shown in Fig. 2 (c), circular dot matrix mixes and refers to that fibre core is some having source rod to pile up to draw and forming of source ion that include, and promptly the inner active ion doping of fibre core zone is several border circular areas.
Doping way such as the doping of annular step, annular gradient doping and circular dot matrix doping are through reducing the concentration of core centre area active ion; Thereby reduce the overlap factor of fiber-optic signal light, pump light and active region; Photon is secretly changed the added losses that effect causes in the reduction pump light source pumping process; Slow down the speed of darkization of photon, promote the dark voltinism ability of anti-photon of optical fiber.
The described Active Optical Fiber of the embodiment of the present invention is that double clad is mixed the ytterbium silica fibre, and is as shown in Figure 1, and the component of fibre core 11 is silica matrix, source ion ytterbium ion and co-dopant aluminium are arranged, yttrium, cerium ion, refractive index n
1Be 1.469; The component of inner cladding 12 is pure quartz, its refractive index n
2Be 1.457; The component of surrounding layer 13 is the polymer coating of low-refraction, refractive index n
3Be 1.37; The component of coat 14 is the polymer coating of high index of refraction, refractive index n
4Be 1.49.
The doped structure of fibre core is taked annular step doping way; Wherein the component of the interior zone of fibre core 11 (being the border circular areas of fibre core 11 inside among Fig. 1) comprising: the about 1500ppm of molar content that the source ion ytterbium ion is arranged; The about 12000ppm of co-dopant cerium ion; The about 1500ppm of ruthenium ion, the about 50000ppm of aluminium ion; The perimeter of fibre core 11 comprises: silica matrix has the about 15000ppm of molar content of source ion ytterbium ion, the about 5000ppm of co-dopant cerium ion, the about 7500ppm of ruthenium ion, the about 65000ppm of aluminium ion.
Adopting peak power is the pumping source of 15W wavelength 915nm; The operation wavelength 1080nm of laser instrument; Through the pump power of test absorption and the laser power of output; Obtain the slope efficiency of fiber laser, as shown in Figure 3, the described double clad of test result first embodiment of demonstration is mixed the ytterbium silica fibre and is had 82% slope efficiency.After the fiber laser section time, the fluctuation of output power reflection photon is secretly changed the influence of effect to laser activity.The fiber laser of conventional ytterbium aluminium codoped optical fiber preparation is after moving a period of time continuously; Significantly decay appears in the output power of laser instrument, and attenuation degree is bigger, and the decay of the fiber laser output power of employing sample optical fiber preparation is less; As shown in Figure 4; Test result shows that sample optical fiber has higher slope efficiency, and the dark voltinism of anti-photon of sample optical fiber can be greatly improved simultaneously.
Adopt MCVD manufacturing process and liquid phase doping technology to prepare the method that the described double clad of present embodiment is mixed the ytterbium silica fibre, as shown in Figure 5, may further comprise the steps:
(1) in pure crystal reaction tube 31, feeds sulfur hexafluoride, the inwall of pure crystal reaction tube 31 is carried out etch polishing handle;
(2) in pure crystal reaction tube 31, feed silicon tetrachloride, carry the mode of silicon tetrachloride gas with oxygen and introduce, adopt 2 times coverings 32 of forward depositional mode deposition.
(3) after the covering deposition finishes, in pure crystal reaction tube 31, feed silicon tetrachloride, carry the mode of silicon tetrachloride gas with oxygen and introduce.Adopt the mode of high-temperature baking aluminum chloride powder, introduce aluminum chloride.1 time sandwich layer 33 of forward deposition.
(4) with post-depositional reaction tube with containing source ion is arranged, the hydrochloride alcohol mixed liquor of cerium and ruthenium ion soaks for a long time, the revolving reaction pipe makes and soaks evenly in the immersion process.
(5) solution soaking fully after, feeding chlorine and oxygen to pure crystal reaction tube 31 in, its throughput ratio is 1: 5, and reaction tube is dried processing.
(6) under the mixed atmosphere of chlorine, helium and oxygen with pure crystal reaction tube 31 vitrifacations, temperature of reaction is 2000 degrees centigrade, chlorine flowrate is that 5sccm, helium gas flow are that 10sccm, oxygen flow are 300sccm.
(7) repeat a step (3) to (6), accomplish the preparation of doped core.
(8) be 2000 degrees centigrade, chlorine flowrate is that 5sccm, oxygen flow are that the rod that contracts under the atmosphere of 100sccm is accomplished the preparation of preform.
(9) adopt wire-drawer-tower that preform is drawn into doubly clad optical fiber.Promptly after the preform preparation finishes,, prefabricated rods is processed as required geometric configuration through precision optical machinery processing.Subsequently, adopt wire-drawer-tower that preform is drawn into optical fiber.Adopt low refractive index polymer coating to carry out primary coating, carry out secondary with high refractive index polymer coating and apply, obtain doubly clad optical fiber.The refractive index of described low refractive index polymer coating is 1.37, and the refractive index of high refractive index polymer coating is 1.49.
Second described Active Optical Fiber of embodiment of the present invention is that double clad is mixed the ytterbium silica fibre, and fibre core 11 components are silica matrix, source ion ytterbium ion and co-dopant aluminium are arranged, yttrium, cerium ion, refractive index n
1Be about 1.459; Inner cladding 12 components are pure quartz, its refractive index n
2Be 1.457; Surrounding layer 13 components are the polymer coating of low-refraction, refractive index n
3Be 1.37; Coat 14 components are the polymer coating of high index of refraction, refractive index n
4Be 1.49.
The doped structure of fibre core is taked even doping way, and promptly fibre core 11 active ion doping concentration are evenly to distribute.The fibre core component is: silica matrix has the about 500ppm of molar content of source ion ytterbium ion, the about 500ppm of co-dopant cerium ion, the about 4000ppm of ruthenium ion, the about 10000ppm of aluminium ion.
This double clad is mixed the preparation method of ytterbium silica fibre, and step (1)-(4) are identical with preparation method among the embodiment, and step (5) feeds chlorine and oxygen in pure crystal reaction tube, and flow proportional is 1: 10, and reaction tube is dried processing.
(6) under the mixed atmosphere of chlorine, helium and oxygen with pure crystal reaction tube vitrifacation, temperature of reaction is 2200 degrees centigrade, chlorine flowrate is that 50sccm, helium gas flow are that 50sccm, oxygen flow are 50sccm, accomplishes the preparation of fibre core doped portion.
(7) at 2200 degrees centigrade, chlorine flowrate is that 30sccm, oxygen flow are that the rod that contracts under the atmosphere of 200sccm is accomplished the preparation of preform.
(8) adopt wire-drawer-tower that preform is drawn into doubly clad optical fiber.
The 3rd the described Active Optical Fiber of embodiment of the present invention is the double clad Yb-doped photon crystal optical fiber; Fibre core 11 components are silica matrix, source ion ytterbium ion and co-dopant aluminium are arranged, yttrium, cerium ion; The kapillary dutycycle of interior airport layer is 18%, and the kapillary dutycycle of outer space pore layer is 89%.Wherein the doped structure of fibre core is taked circular dot matrix doping way, and shown in Fig. 2 (c), the fibre core component does; Silica matrix has the about 3000ppm of molar content of source ion ytterbium ion, the about 1500ppm of co-dopant cerium ion, the about 30000ppm of ruthenium ion, the about 13500ppm of aluminium ion.
The preparation method of this double clad Yb-doped photon crystal optical fiber, step (1)-(4) are identical with preparation method among first embodiment, and step (5) feeds chlorine and oxygen in pure crystal reaction tube, and flow proportional is 1: 7, and reaction tube is dried processing.
(6) under the mixed atmosphere of chlorine, helium and oxygen with pure crystal reaction tube vitrifacation, temperature of reaction is 2100 degrees centigrade, chlorine flowrate is that 25sccm, helium gas flow are that 25sccm, oxygen flow are 200sccm.
(7) repeat time step (3) to (6), accomplish the preparation of doped core.
(8) at 2100 degrees centigrade, chlorine flowrate is that 15sccm, oxygen flow are that the rod that contracts under the atmosphere of 150sccm is accomplished the preparation of preform.
(9) adopt the secondary fiber elongation method that the active photonic crystal optical fibre is processed in preform drawing.Be after preform preparation finishes, preform be drawn into the thin rod of 1mm, be drawn into the thin rod of 0.85mm after again will some thin rod accumulations, as fibre core with wire-drawer-tower.Use diameter to be 0.85mm, the kapillary of 18% dutycycle is piled up airport layer in 5 layers of conduct; With quartz glass tube as quartzy inner cladding; Quartzy inner cladding is outside with the kapillary of the 89% dutycycle one deck of arranging, and as outer space pore layer, and the jacket layer quartz glass tube is as quartzy surrounding layer.Wire drawing, secondary applies the photonic crystal fiber that the back obtains circular dot matrix doped structure.
The present invention not only is confined to above-mentioned embodiment; Persons skilled in the art are according to content disclosed by the invention; Can adopt other multiple embodiment embodiment of the present invention, therefore, every employing project organization of the present invention and thinking; Do some simple designs that change or change, all fall into the scope of the present invention's protection.