We carefully examined the fluorescence properties of Yb-doped fibers before and after pump-induced photodarkening (PD) and found a significant reduction of Yb³⁺ fluorescence intensity and lifetime due to the degradation process, obviously correlated with the measured PD loss. To explain these results, a non-radiative energy transfer from excited Yb³⁺ ions to the atomic defects (color centers) in close vicinity of the Yb³⁺ ions is suggested and discussed quantitatively as a function of PD loss generated in fibers with different Yb concentrations, by various pump powers or at different photodarkening states. All modifications of fluorescence properties proved to be reversed by thermal bleaching of the PD-induced color centers.

© 2013 OSA

1. R. Paschotta, J. Nilsson, P. R. Barber, J. E. Caplen, A. C. Tropper, and D. C. Hanna, “Lifetime quenching in Yb-doped fibers,” Opt. Commun.136(5-6), 375–378 (1997). [CrossRef]
2. J. J. Koponen, M. J. Söderlund, H. J. Hoffman, and S. K. T. Tammela, “Measuring photodarkening from single-mode ytterbium doped silica fibers,” Opt. Express14(24), 11539–11544 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. M. Engholm and L. Norin, “Preventing photodarkening in ytterbium-doped high power fiber lasers; correlation to the UV-transparency of the core glass,” Opt. Express16(2), 1260–1268 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. S. Yoo, C. Basu, A. J. Boyland, C. Sones, J. Nilsson, J. K. Sahu, and D. Payne, “Photodarkening in Yb-doped aluminosilicate fibers induced by 488 nm irradiation,” Opt. Lett.32(12), 1626–1628 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. S. Jetschke, S. Unger, U. Röpke, and J. Kirchhof, “Photodarkening in Yb doped fibers: experimental evidence of equilibrium states depending on the pump power,” Opt. Express15(22), 14838–14843 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. A. D. Guzman Chávez, A. V. Kiryanov, Y. O. Barmenkov, and N. N. Ilichev, “Reversible photodarkening and resonant photobleaching of ytterbium-doped silica fiber at in-core 977-nm and 543-nm irradiation,” Laser Phys. Lett.4(10), 734–739 (2007). [CrossRef]
7. J. Kirchhof, S. Unger, S. Jetschke, A. Schwuchow, M. Leich, and V. Reichel, “Yb doped silica based laser fibers: correlation of photodarkening kinetics and related optical properties with the glass composition,” Proc. SPIE7195, 71950S, 71950S-15 (2009). [CrossRef]
8. J. Kirchhof, S. Unger, A. Schwuchow, S. Jetschke, V. Reichel, M. Leich, and A. Scheffel, “The influence of Yb2+ ions on optical properties and power stability of ytterbium doped laser fibers,” Proc. SPIE7598, 75980B, 75980B-11 (2010). [CrossRef]
9. M. N. Zervas, F. Ghiringhelli, M. K. Durkin, and I. Crowe, “Distribution of photodarkening-induced loss in Yb-doped fiber amplifiers,” Proc. SPIE7914, 79140L, 79140L-8 (2011). [CrossRef]
10. A. A. Rybaltovsky, S. S. Aleshkina, M. E. Likhachev, M. M. Bubnov, A. A. Umnikov, M. V. Yashkov, A. N. Gur’yanov, and E. M. Dianov, “Luminescence and photoinduced absorption in ytterbium-doped optical fibres,” Quantum Electron.41(12), 1073–1079 (2011). [CrossRef]
11. H. Gebavi, S. Taccheo, D. Tregoat, A. Monteville, and T. Robin, “Photobleaching of photodarkening in ytterbium doped aluminosilicate fibers with 633 nm irradiation,” Opt. Mater. Express2(9), 1286–1291 (2012). [CrossRef]
12. K. E. Mattsson, “Photo darkening of rare earth doped silica,” Opt. Express19(21), 19797–19812 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. S. Jetschke, S. Unger, M. Leich, and J. Kirchhof, “Photodarkening kinetics as a function of Yb concentration and the role of Al codoping,” Appl. Opt.51(32), 7758–7764 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. A. Schwuchow, S. Unger, S. Jetschke, and J. Kirchhof (Institute of Photonic Technology, Albert-Einstein-Str. 9, 07745 Jena, Germany) are preparing a manuscript to be called “Advanced absorption and fluorescence measurements to characterize photodarkening and related properties of Yb fibers”.
15. S. Jetschke and U. Röpke, “Power-law dependence of the photodarkening rate constant on the inversion in Yb doped fibers,” Opt. Lett.34(1), 109–111 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. M. Laroche, S. Girard, J. K. Sahu, W. A. Clarkson, and J. Nilsson, “Accurate efficiency evaluation of energy-transfer processes in phosphosilicate Er3+-Yb3+-codoped fibers,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B23(2), 195–202 (2006). [CrossRef]

Appl. Opt.

• S. Jetschke, S. Unger, M. Leich, and J. Kirchhof, “Photodarkening kinetics as a function of Yb concentration and the role of Al codoping,” Appl. Opt.51(32), 7758–7764 (2012). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. B

• M. Laroche, S. Girard, J. K. Sahu, W. A. Clarkson, and J. Nilsson, “Accurate efficiency evaluation of energy-transfer processes in phosphosilicate Er3+-Yb3+-codoped fibers,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. B23(2), 195–202 (2006). [CrossRef]

Laser Phys. Lett.

• A. D. Guzman Chávez, A. V. Kiryanov, Y. O. Barmenkov, and N. N. Ilichev, “Reversible photodarkening and resonant photobleaching of ytterbium-doped silica fiber at in-core 977-nm and 543-nm irradiation,” Laser Phys. Lett.4(10), 734–739 (2007). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• R. Paschotta, J. Nilsson, P. R. Barber, J. E. Caplen, A. C. Tropper, and D. C. Hanna, “Lifetime quenching in Yb-doped fibers,” Opt. Commun.136(5-6), 375–378 (1997). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• J. J. Koponen, M. J. Söderlund, H. J. Hoffman, and S. K. T. Tammela, “Measuring photodarkening from single-mode ytterbium doped silica fibers,” Opt. Express14(24), 11539–11544 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Engholm and L. Norin, “Preventing photodarkening in ytterbium-doped high power fiber lasers; correlation to the UV-transparency of the core glass,” Opt. Express16(2), 1260–1268 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. E. Mattsson, “Photo darkening of rare earth doped silica,” Opt. Express19(21), 19797–19812 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Jetschke, S. Unger, U. Röpke, and J. Kirchhof, “Photodarkening in Yb doped fibers: experimental evidence of equilibrium states depending on the pump power,” Opt. Express15(22), 14838–14843 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• S. Jetschke and U. Röpke, “Power-law dependence of the photodarkening rate constant on the inversion in Yb doped fibers,” Opt. Lett.34(1), 109–111 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Yoo, C. Basu, A. J. Boyland, C. Sones, J. Nilsson, J. K. Sahu, and D. Payne, “Photodarkening in Yb-doped aluminosilicate fibers induced by 488 nm irradiation,” Opt. Lett.32(12), 1626–1628 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Mater. Express

• H. Gebavi, S. Taccheo, D. Tregoat, A. Monteville, and T. Robin, “Photobleaching of photodarkening in ytterbium doped aluminosilicate fibers with 633 nm irradiation,” Opt. Mater. Express2(9), 1286–1291 (2012). [CrossRef]

Proc. SPIE

• J. Kirchhof, S. Unger, S. Jetschke, A. Schwuchow, M. Leich, and V. Reichel, “Yb doped silica based laser fibers: correlation of photodarkening kinetics and related optical properties with the glass composition,” Proc. SPIE7195, 71950S, 71950S-15 (2009). [CrossRef]
• J. Kirchhof, S. Unger, A. Schwuchow, S. Jetschke, V. Reichel, M. Leich, and A. Scheffel, “The influence of Yb2+ ions on optical properties and power stability of ytterbium doped laser fibers,” Proc. SPIE7598, 75980B, 75980B-11 (2010). [CrossRef]
• M. N. Zervas, F. Ghiringhelli, M. K. Durkin, and I. Crowe, “Distribution of photodarkening-induced loss in Yb-doped fiber amplifiers,” Proc. SPIE7914, 79140L, 79140L-8 (2011). [CrossRef]

Quantum Electron.

• A. A. Rybaltovsky, S. S. Aleshkina, M. E. Likhachev, M. M. Bubnov, A. A. Umnikov, M. V. Yashkov, A. N. Gur’yanov, and E. M. Dianov, “Luminescence and photoinduced absorption in ytterbium-doped optical fibres,” Quantum Electron.41(12), 1073–1079 (2011). [CrossRef]

Other

• A. Schwuchow, S. Unger, S. Jetschke, and J. Kirchhof (Institute of Photonic Technology, Albert-Einstein-Str. 9, 07745 Jena, Germany) are preparing a manuscript to be called “Advanced absorption and fluorescence measurements to characterize photodarkening and related properties of Yb fibers”.

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Related Journal Articles

• Three- and four-level transition dynamics in Yb-fiber laser (OE)
• Photodarkening in Yb doped fibers: experimental evidence of equilibrium states depending on the pump power (OE)
• Efficient Yb laser fibers with low photodarkening by optimization of the core composition (OE)
• Power-law dependence of the photodarkening rate constant on the inversion in Yb doped fibers (OL)
• Non-isothermal bleaching of photodarkened Yb-doped fibers (OE)

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