AUniversity Development of visible up-conversion fiber laser based on modified Silica glass host Project Update for Brain-Gain Malaysia Program Panel Site Visit By Hairul A. Abdul Rashid, Ph.D MMU 22 nd December, 2010.

AUniversity Contents Introduction Physical Progress Financial Progress Corrective Actions Requests

AUniversity Introduction Design, Fabricate and Characterize: –Visible wavelength –Fiber laser –Modified Silica Host Under guidance of visiting scientist: –Dr. Mukul Chandra Paul, CGCRI, India Collaboration: –TM R&D

AUniversity Methodology Development –Preform fabrication –Fiber drawing –Fiber laser setup Characterization –Fiber dimensions –Emission/ Lasing properties

AUniversity Fiber Design Core composition: SiO 2 +Al 2 O 3 +Yb 2 O 3 +Pr 2 O 3 +ZrO 2 /Y 2 O 3 +F Core diameter: 25μm Inner cladding diameter: 200μm Coating dia: 400±25μm Core NA: 0.12 Cladding NA: Pr and Yb doping level: wt%

AUniversity Updates Preform Fabrication –MCVD is ready to run deposition –Not fully sintered –Recipe need to modify –Solution doping - doping of Pr 3+ and Yb 3+ into alumino-silicate glass modified with incorporation of ZrO 2 and PbF 2 or F of optical fibre preform. –Solution doping station: Design complete motor and pump ready Preparing tubing

AUniversity Set Up For Solution Doping Peristaltic Pump Motor Dopant Solution Drain Valve Fabricated porous soot

AUniversity Fiber drawing –Milling of the preform into D-shaped inner cladding structure –Polishing –Resin coating for outer cladding –Fiber drawing –Drawing tower in UM is not ready (expected February 2011) –Fiber drawing will be done in CGCRI –Quotation ready Updates

AUniversity Fiber Laser setup –Lasing wavelength range:- Visible range ( nm) –Output Power range: W –Pump configuration with other parameters:- Wavelength (800nm or 980 nm), Pump Power (1000mW) Updates

AUniversity Characterization Progress Schematic diagram of visible wavelength Pr 3+ Doped fiber laser setup There will be three types of pump wavelength to be proposed for this project : nm 2.800nm 3.980nm

AUniversity Multimode laser diode Uncooled High Power Laser Diode Max Power (10W) High Power Laser Diode Driver (Controller) High Power Laser Detector

AUniversity Laser Diode Characteristics Bookham 980nm Laser Diode Charactereristics at typical operating current (extrapolated) Bookham 980nm Laser Diode Charactereristics near threshold current

AUniversity Characterization –Material study of Pr doped modified silica based glass structure using EPMA, SEM-EDX, XRD and TEM analyses –To be done in CGCRI –Quotation ready Updates

AUniversity Characterization Geometrical and optical property of the fabricated fibres will be done through measurement of core diameter, inner cladding diameter, coating thickness and RI profile using Fibre Analyser along with optical loss by the spectral attenuation set-up. Setup is ready Updates

AUniversity Physical Progress Original Gantt Chart Milestone #1 –Complete fabrication –June 2010 –Not achieved (yet)

AUniversity Reasons Milestone #1 not achieved Dr. Mukul was involved in some industrial accident. Currently recovering and undergoing physiotherapy Late disbursement, October 2010

AUniversity Corrective Actions Necessary equipment and raw materials for fabrication is ready Dr. Mukul’s trip to Malaysia in January 2011 Hairul to visit Dr. Mukul (private) In the mean time, our team is running several runs in the MCVD through his guidance over . Start earlier on other project activities: characterization

AUniversity Physical Progress Revised Gantt Chart Revised Milestone –Milestone #1: March 2011 –Milestone #2: May 2011 –Milestone #3: August #Task NameOctNovDecJanFebMacAprMayJuneJulyAug 1 Setting up solution doping station 2 Fabrication of preform using MCVD method 3 Doping using solution doping 4 Fiber Drawing 5 Fiber optical and physical characterization 6 Visible fiber laser construction and characterizations 7 Analysis of characterization results

AUniversity Request Extension: 31 st August, 2011 Fiber drawing and characterization will be done in CGCRI Team to visit CGCRI in March 2011 Use existing budget since Dr. Mukul can spend only 2 months maximum

AUniversity Financial Progress Approved Project Allocation : RM_312,100_ Year 1 ( 2010 ) : RM_246,600__ Total Allocation Received To date : RM_246,600_ Total Expenditure To date: RM_ 140, __or _57.12__% Balance of Allocation To date : RM_ 105,747.55

AUniversity APPENDIX

AUniversity Background Visible laser light sources –Spectroscopy –Printing technology –Medical applications

AUniversity Background Currently –air cooled ion lasers –frequency doubled solid-state lasers Problem –high power consumption –complicated nonlinear parametrical processes Up-conversion fiber lasers operating directly in the visible spectral range offer a simple alternative

AUniversity Advantages phases of the incident light = phase up- conversion light, not required Lower cost, mature semiconductor laser as pump Glass hosts as wave guides –increases the optical gain length –decreases the pumped power by the optical restriction effect –beam quality

AUniversity Problem Definition Up-conversion lasers based on glass fibersfibers –high pump intensities over long lengths –laser thresholdlaser threshold silica glass unsuitable due to high phonon energiessilica glass –cause strong multi-phonon transitionsmulti-phonon transitions –lead to too short metastable level lifetimes.metastable level

AUniversity Problem Definition Alternatively, heavy-metal fluoride glasses (e.g. ZBLAN)fluoride glasses –tends to be fragile and expensive

AUniversity Solution fabricate compact, mass-producible, high- power up-conversion visible wavelength fiber lasers employs cheap, readily available IR semiconductor lasers research required to identify suitable materials for host

AUniversity Solution Use Praseodymium (Pr) with Ytterbium (Yb) as a co-dopant –Emission occurs at multiple visible wavelengths including blue/green, green and red –Previous proof of high efficiency upconversion lasing in ZBLAN optical fibres –Use of a single wavelength pumping source when co-doped with Ytterbium (Yb). –The apparent lack of a photodarkening mechanism.

AUniversity Modified Host Fluoride and Tellurite hosts offer better quantum efficiencies – however properties are problematic, non-practical device. Doping silica materials with Pr 3+ or Yb 3+ +Pr 3+ –low fluorescence –high phonon quenching Need for modified silica host

AUniversity Objectives Development of Pr 3+ and Yb 3+ +Pr 3+ co-doped modified silica based glass host containing around 80-85mol% of SiO 2 for use as cladding pump visible up-conversion fibre laser in blue, green and red regions.

AUniversity Objectives Optimization of the core composition of Pr 3+ and Yb 3+ doped silica glass based optical fibres to improve their lasing property from view point of material study and fibre design.

AUniversity Objectives Standardization of different process parameters during fabrication of preform, milling followed by polishing in the D shaped inner cladding structure and fibre drawing stage to get desired waveguide parameters of the fibres.

AUniversity Objectives Spectroscopy study of RE dope nano- crystallite fibre. Evolution of the lasing property of the fabricated Pr 3+ and Pr+Yb codoped cladding pump fibres.

AUniversity Visiting Scientist DR. MUKUL CHANDRA PAUL Optical Communication Fiber Laboratory Central Glass & Ceramic Research Institute Expertise - Fiber Optics, Material Science CV attached

AUniversity CGCRI support/ approval

AUniversity Methodology Development –Fabrication –Fiber Laser setup Characterization –Fiber dimensions –Lasing properties

AUniversity Proposed fiber A Core composition: SiO 2 +Al 2 O 3 +Yb 2 O 3 +Pr 2 O 3 +ZrO 2 /Y 2 O 3 +F Core Dia: micron Inner cladding dia:- 200μm Coating dia: 400±25μm Core NA: ±0.01 Cladding NA: Pr and Yb doping level: wt%

AUniversity Proposed fiber B Core composition: SiO 2 +Al 2 O 3 +Yb 2 O 3 +Pr 2 O 3 +ZrO 2 +PbF 2

AUniversity Project Activities Fabrication –Doping of Pr 3+ and Yb 3+ into alumino-silicate glass modified with incorporation of ZrO 2 and PbF 2 or F of optical fibre preform. –Milling of the preform into D-shaped inner cladding structure –Polishing –Drawing of fibre

AUniversity Project Activities Fiber Laser setup –Lasing wavelength range:- Visible range ( nm) –Output Power range: W –Pump configuration with other parameters:- Wavelength (800nm or 980 nm), Pump Power (1000mW)

AUniversity Project Activities Characterization –Material study of Pr doped modified silica based glass structure using EPMA, SEM-EDX, XRD and TEM analyses –Geometrical and optical property of the fabricated fibres will be done through measurement of core diameter, inner cladding diameter, coating thickness and RI profile using Fibre Analyser along with optical loss by the spectral attenuation set-up.

AUniversity Characterization Study of lasing property of Pr3+ and Pr3++Yb3+ doped fibers Pumped by 980 nm laser Pr+Yb codoped D shaped low RI coated fiber

AUniversity Milestones NoMilestonesCompletion DateDeliverables 1.Complete fabricationJune 2010new modified host glass fiber 2.Complete characterizationSeptember 2010Full characterization results of the visible fiber laser based on the new modified host glass fiber 3.Complete results analysisDecember 2010Full analysis on characterization results of the visible fiber laser based on the new modified host glass fiber

AUniversity Gantt Chart

AUniversity Project Cost

AUniversity Top-up Project Cost RO Cost = RM 24,000 Cost related to fabrication RM204,300 Cost related to characterization RM29,000

AUniversity Benefits No.Impact 1.Enhanced knowledge in fabrication of advanced materials will allow researchers and scientist in to move up the value chain with access to more materials that potentially have numerous applications. 2.With the enhanced knowledge in fabrication, new modified host glass fiber can be designed, fabricated and characterized leading to potential commercialization and quality publication. 3.Success in identifying a suitable host material will allow high-power visible wavelength lasers to be mass-produced. This in turn would allow the creation of a new high-technology laser company which would further increase the Malyasia and profile in this very strategic area.

AUniversity Current Facilities Photonics Lab, TM R&D Head of Lab, Dr. Abdul Aziz Mat Hassan Fabrication –MCVD –Quartz Etcher Preform Profiler

AUniversity Lathe

AUniversity Bubbler

AUniversity Gas Delivery System

AUniversity DI Water Facilities

AUniversity Gas Farm

AUniversity Scrubber

AUniversity Preform Profiler

AUniversity Current Facilities Characterization –Visible Spectrometer –Power Meter (High Power) –RF Spectrum Analyzer (Linewidth Measurement) –Beam Profiler

AUniversity OSA, TLS, Current Controller

AUniversity Power Meter, Attenuator, PD

AUniversity Digital Sampling Scope

AUniversity LabVIEW Control

AUniversity Visible Spectrometer

AUniversity Visit to CGCRI, Kolkata Visit on December 2009 Discussion with Dr. Mukul Paul, Dr. Badhra Focus on fabrication and characterization of silica fiber Facilities: fabrication (MCVD, drawing tower, solution dopping, UV FBG/ LPG), characterization (preform analyzer, fiber analyzer, optical amplifier characterization)

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A Acknowledgement

AUniversity THANK YOU!