Doped Fibers

Product Portfolio
Our range of doped optical fibers contains single mode (SM), multi mode (MM) or polarization maintaining (PM) optical fibers whose fiber cores are doped with laser-active ions, mostly of rare-earth materials.

Erbium(Er)-doped fibers are available, manufactured with a patented outside vapor deposition process, featuring high uniformity and reliability and exhibiting consistently low splice loss when coupled with other optical fibers. Further Erbium-doped SM fiber series show various degrees of core absorption for a broad range of applications.

Our series of Ytterbium(Yb)-doped specialty fibers is photodarkening-free and includes SM and PM fibers as well as variants with double cladding, large mode areas or tapered fibers, while our Thulium-doped Optical Fibers is specially designed for highly efficient core pumping at 1550 to 1600 nm. The Thulium-Ytterbium co-doped optical fiber is specially designed for highly efficient pumping with multi mode pump sources at 915/975 nm.

A series of Germanate (Ge) glass core optical fibers for SM or MM applications is available from AMS Technologies as well as Germanium(Ge)-doped high non-linear SM fibers, designed to maximize fiber nonlinearity and minimize optical loss. The main advantage of our Phosphorus(P)-doped fiber series is a three times higher value of the Raman shift as compared to Germanium-doped fibers.

Within our series of Bismuth-doped SM optical fibers Bismuth-Phosphorus co-doped fibers as well as Bismuth-Germanium co-doped fibers are available. SBS-suppressed optical fibers available from AMS Technologies feature a suppressed stimulated Brillouin scattering gain, especially crucial in applications like Raman amplifiers which require small mode field diameter (MFD).

Other variants of doped fibers like polarization maintaining (PM) doped fibers, fibers designed for a custom operating wavelength, with different core numerical apertures (NA) or diameters are available on request. Please contact the AMS Technologies optical fiber experts to discuss your customized doped optical fiber solution.

Related Products
Beyond doped fibers, our large portfolio of optical and specialty fibers for a wide wavelength range includes single mode (SM) fibers, multi mode (MM) fibers and polarization maintaining (PM) fibers as well as plastic optical fibers (POF).

Complementing our optical fiber offerings, AMS Technologies carries a large portfolio of fiber connectors, accompanied by a range of corresponding female mating sleeves and adapters. AMS Technologies can also offer an end-to-end solution for the assembly and test of fiber connectors that is exactly tailored to your requirements. In our broad portfolio you can find tools for stripping and cleaving your fibers, gluing and curing the fiber into the fiber connector using optical adhesives, polishing and cleaning of fiber optic end faces (especially important if the fiber is used with higher optical power), and finally testing your fiber connector with microscopes, interferometers as well as handheld and automated test equipment measuring return loss.

If you prefer pre-manufactured, ready to use fibers with the connectors already assembled to them, take a look at our range of SM, MM or PM patch cables. Shaped fiber tips or endcaps are further available options, improving the performance of the fiber-to-air interface, especially for high optical powers.

You need multiple fibers with or without connectors, manufactured, bundled and tested to your specifications? AMS Technologies has a proven track record of working with our OEM customers to design and build the most different configurations of bundled assemblies for a wide variety of photonics systems. Get in touch with the AMS Technologies optical fiber experts to discuss your customized fiber assembly or bundle that is tailored to meet your project’s specific requirements.

Definition
Optical or glass fibers can be used for many different applications, with the main purpose to transport light over a certain distance. Optical fibers consist mainly of a core with a certain diameter, a cladding and a coating.

Doped fibers are often called active fibers. Their cores are doped with laser-active ions, mostly of rare-earth materials like Erbium (Er), Ytterbium (Yb), Neodymium (Nd), or Thulium (Tm). Pumped with suitable pump sources like flash lamps, LEDs or diode lasers by a typically shorter wavelength, these ions absorb the pump light and get excited into some metastable energy levels.

By stimulated emission, doped fibers emit amplified light with a longer wavelength than pumped, acting as a fiber amplifier or laser. To achieve higher output power, special fibers, so called double-clad fibers , can be used. They consist of an inner cladding which is usually multi mode, and into which the pump light is launched. The single mode core inside the cladding is doped with rare-earth materials. This technology provides a better beam quality and high brightness.

Co-doped Fibers
The core of a co-doped fiber is doped with ions of two different rare earths. A combination of Erbium and Ytterbium in the form of Erbium-Ytterbium co-doped fibers is particularly common, with the concentration of Erbium being usually much lower. In the core of a co-doped fiber, one of the two types of ions absorbs most of the energy of the pump light source and thus changes into a higher excited state. When it returns to its normal state, the energy is transferred to the other type of rare earth ion. A good balance between the doping concentrations and a suitable composition of the fiber core is important for this energy transfer to take place efficiently. Compared to singly doped fibers, co-doped fibers show a higher pump absorption per unit length. Therefore, fiber components with a significantly shorter length can be realized.

Alternative Terms: Active Fiber; Er-doped Fiber; Yb-doped Fiber; Nd-doped Fiber; Tm-doped Fiber; Rare-earth Fiber; Laser Fiber; Amplifier Fiber

Bismuth-doped Optical Fibers

Cut off Wavelength 980, 1350 nm; Numerical Aperture 0.09 to 0.27; Core Dia. 3.5 to 14 µm; Cladding Dia. 125 µm; Background Loss <10 to <30 dB/km FORC-Photonics’ series of Bismuth-doped single mode (SM) optical fibers feature core diameters of 5.6 and 6.5 µm. The Bismuth-Phosphorus co-doped fiber BPDF-SM-6/125-1320 is specially designed for amplifiers, lasers or superfluorescent fiber sources operating at 1270 to 1370 nm, while the Bismuth-Germanium co-doped fiber BGDF-SM-7/125-1430 series is specially designed for amplifiers, lasers or superfluorescent fiber sources operating at 1370 to 1490nm. Key Features: Bismuth-doped Fibers Phosphorus or Germanium Co-doped Core Diameter: 5.6, 6.5 µm Core Absorption: 0.3, 0.5 dB/m Cladding Diameter: 125 µm Cut off Wavelength: 1050, 1100 nm Core Numerical Aperture: 0.14 Typ. Peak Gain: >0.2 dB/m Applications: Amplifiers; Lasers; Superfluorescent Fiber Sources

Product number: SW11013

Manufacturer: FORC Photonics

ER Series Erbium-doped Fibers

Cut off Wavelength ≤980, ≤1300, ≤1400 nm; Numerical Aperture 0.22, 0.23; Mode Field Diameter 3.5 to 5.6 µm; Attenuation ≤15.0; Cladding/Coating Dia. 80, 125 µm/165, 245 µm; Dual Acrylate Coating Manufactured with Corning’s patented outside vapor deposition (OVD) process, Corning® ER series of Erbium-doped specialty fibers set the worldwide standard for uniformity and reliability. Corning offers erbium-doped fibers with hermetic coatings for significant advantage with respect to mechanical reliability and resistance to hydrogen-induced optical attenuation degradation. These erbium-doped fibers have a proven track record in state-of-the-art optical amplifiers and exhibit consistently low splice loss when coupled with fibers such as Corning® HI 1060 FLEX, Corning® HI 980, and Corning SMF-28e+® optical fiber. Erbium-doped fiber designs are available for conventional C-band, L-band, and reduced-clad (80 μm) applications. Corning’s range of Erbium-doped fibers includes product series like ER 1550C3, ER 1550C3 LC, ER 1600L3 and RC ER 1550C3. For more information please refer to the Corning® ER Erbium-doped specialty optical fibers datasheet. In typical high-performance amplifiers built with Corning’s Erbium-doped fiber, gain consistency is maximized due to spectral uniformity of the fiber, eliminating the need for frequent adjustments to gain flattening filter design. Variations in gain spectrum and pump power requirements are greatly reduced, which makes for a more predictable amplifier manufacturing process and translates directly to lower costs for customers. Key Features: Outstanding Consistency and Uniformity Patented Outside Vapor Deposition (OVD) Process OVD Manufacturing Consistency Provides Repeatability for Gain Spectrum Allowing for the Reduction of Lot Qualifications in Amplifier Deployment Hermetic Coating for Increased Environmental Stability and Reliability Dual Acrylate Coating System Provides Excellent Protection and Superior Mechanical Robustness Short and Long Cutoff Wavelength C-band Versions Available Excellent Geometry Control Mode-field Diameter Designed to Match Corning® High Index Specialty Fiber Efficient Coupling With an EDFA Applications: Single and Multi-channel Optical Amplifiers; Digital and Analog Systems; Community Antenna Television (CATV) Amplifier

Product number: SW10998

Manufacturer: Corning

Erbium-doped Optical Fibers

Cut off Wavelength 980, 1350 nm; Numerical Aperture 0.09 to 0.27; Core Dia. 3.5 to 14 µm; Cladding Dia. 125 µm; Background Loss <10 to <30 dB/km FORC-Photonics’ series of Erbium-doped single mode (SM) optical fibers feature core diameters from 3.5 to 14 µm. The EDF-4/125-10 fiber is specially designed to achieve the highest efficiency of telecommunication amplifiers, while the Erbium-doped fiber EDF-4/125-25 is designed to minimize the amplifier length without degradation of the pump-to-signal conversion efficiency. FORC-Photonics’ Erbium-doped fiber EDF-4/125-50 is designed for amplification of ultra-short pulses, when high efficiency, a short amplifier length and a high negative dispersion (-30 to -50 ps/nm/km) are required, while the EDF-14/125-35 Erbium-doped fiber is designed for low-nonlinearity and high pulse energy amplifiers. Key Features: Erbium-doped Fibers Core Diameter: 3.5 to 14 µm Core Absorption: 6 to 50 dB/m Cladding Diameter: 125 µm Cut off Wavelength: 980, 1350 nm Core Numerical Aperture: 0.09 to 0.27 Background Loss: <10 to <30 dB/km Applications: High Efficiency Telecommunication Amplifiers; Amplification of Ultra-short Pulses; Low-nonlinearity, High Pulse Energy Amplifiers

Product number: SW11009

Manufacturer: FORC Photonics

GDF Germanate Glass Core Optical Fibers

Cut off Wavelength 700, 1400 nm; Core Dia. 2.2, 8x7 µm; Cladding Dia. 125 µm; GeO2 Concentration 75, 98% FORC-Photonics’ GDF series of Germanate glass core optical fibers is available for single mode (SM) or multi mode (MM) applications. GDF series fibers feature core diameters of 2.2 µm (round, GDF-SM-2.2/125-75) and 8x7 µm (elliptical, GDF-MM-8/125-98). The GDF-SM-2.2/125-75 single mode version is a higly Ge-doped silica Germanate glass core fiber used for a variety of nonlinear applications. The GDF-MM-8/125-98 multi mode version is a Germanate glass core fiber, also used for a variety of nonlinear applications. Key Features: Germanium-doped Fibers Germanate Glass Core, GeO2 Concentration: 75, 98% Core Diameter: 2.2 µm, 8x7 µm (elliptical) Cladding Diameter: 125 µm Coating Diameter (GDF-MM-8/125-98): 250 µm Cut off Wavelength: 700, 1400 nm Minimum Loss (GDF-SM-2.2/125-75): 20 dB/km Attenuation (GDF-MM-8/125-98): 110, 200 dB/km Typ. Peak Gain: >0.2 dB/m

Product number: SW11015

Manufacturer: FORC Photonics

Germanium-doped High Non-linear Optical Fibers

Cut off Wavelength 1000, 1500 nm; Numerical Aperture 0.3; Core Dia. 3, 4,5 µm; Cladding Dia. 125 µm; Optical Loss <5 dB/km FORC-Photonics’ series of Germanium-doped high non-linear single mode fibers feature core diameters of 3 and 4.5 µm. HNLF fibers are designed to maximize fiber nonlinearity and minimize optical loss, which makes such fibers optimal for constructing highly efficient Raman lasers and amplifiers, dispersion compensators and various non-linear devices. The HNLF DS fibers with shifted dispersion are designed for applications requiring a shift of the zero dispersion wavelength to the 1550 nm spectral region: supercontinuum generation, parametric conversion, etc. Other parameters including core and PM versions are available on the request. Key Features: Germanium-doped Fibers Core Diameter: 3, 4.5 µm Cladding Diameter: 125 µm Cut off Wavelength: 1000, 1500 nm Core Numerical Aperture: 0.3 Optical Loss: <5 dB/km Applications: Amplifiers; Lasers; Superfluorescent Fiber Sources

Product number: SW11014

Manufacturer: FORC Photonics

PDF-5/125 Phosphorus-doped Optical Fibers

Cut off Wavelength 900 nm; Numerical Aperture 0.17, 0.18; Core Dia. 5 µm; Cladding Dia. 125 µm; Raman Gain >5.0, >5.8 dB/km*W FORC-Photonics’ PDF-5/125 series of Phosphorus-doped single mode (SM) optical fibers is specially designed for highly efficient Raman lasers and amplifiers operating in the 1100 to 1600 nm spectral range. The main advantage of phosphorus-doped fiber is a three times higher value of the Raman shift as compared to germanium-doped fibers. This feature allows to strongly simplify the Raman fiber laser and amplifier design. For example, to construct a high-power laser @ 1480 nm required for pumping Er-doped fibers, only two cascades of Raman wavelength transformation are necessary, whereas six cascades are necessary in the case of Ge-doped fibers. FORC-Photonics’ PDF-5/125PM series of Phosphorus-doped polarization maintaining (PM) optical fibers is specially designed with the ability to maintain polarization. Key Features: Phosphorus-doped Fibers Core Diameter: 5 µm Cladding Diameter: 125 µm Cut off Wavelength: 900 nm Core Numerical Aperture: 0.17, 0.18 (PDF-5/125PM) Raman Gain: >5.0, >5.8 (PDF-5/125-P) dB/km*W Optical Loss: <1 to <20 dB/km Applications: Highly Efficient Raman Lasers and Amplifiers

Product number: SW11012

Manufacturer: FORC Photonics

SBS-DC SBS-suppressed Optical Fibers

Numerical Aperture 0.09; Core Dia. 20 µm; Cladding Dia. 127 µm; Gray Loss <20 dB/km; Polarization Extinction Ratio >20 dB FORC-Photonics’ SBS-DC series of SBS-suppressed optical fibers feature a suppressed stimulated Brillouin scattering gain. Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is the major factor limiting maximal power of narrow-band fiber lasers (less than 100 MHz linewidth). It is especially crucial in applications which require small mode field diameter (MFD), i.e. Raman amplifiers. Suppression of SBS gain, while maintaining MFD (and Raman gain) becomes a very important task in such fibers. Another promising application of single-frequency lasers is LIDAR (Light Detection And Ranging). In the case of all-fiber systems, it is the passive fibers at the amplifier output (pigtails of isolators, circulators, collimators) that limit the maximum achievable peak power. Thus, development of large mode area (LMA) passive fibers with increased SBS threshold (as compared to standard LMA fibers) is more and more critical for those applications. To suppress SBS gain for a fixed MFD, FORC-Photonics uses a specially designed multi-layer, multi-components doped core. It allows to suppress SBS gain by 3 to 5 dB relative to standard, uniformly doped Ge-doped passive fibers with the same MFD. The developed method allows FORC-Photonics to design custom dopants distribution over the core to suppress SBS by 3 to 5 dB for most of the actual optical refractive index profiles (any core numerical aperture and diameter). The SBS-DC-20/125-1550PM polarization maintaining (PM) fiber has been specially designed to be used in pigtails of output components (isolators, collimators, pump-and-signal combiners etc.) of high peak-power single-frequency lasers operated near 1550 nm. The fiber is intended for utilization in systems with the ability to maintain polarization. Fibers with suppressed SBS-gain for a custom designed operating wavelength, core numerical aperture (NA) and diameter are available on request. Please contact AMS Technologies to discuss your customized SBS-suppressed optical fiber solution. Key Features: Suppressed Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) Gain Core Diameter: 20 µm Cladding Diameter: 127 µm Core Numerical Aperture: 0.09 Gray Loss: <20 dB/km Polarization Extinction Ratio (After 2 m): >20 dB Applications: Narrow-band Fiber Lasers; Raman Amplifiers; Pigtails of Output Components (Isolators, Collimators, Pump-and-signal Combiners etc.) of High Peak-power Single-frequency Lasers

Product number: SW11016

Manufacturer: FORC Photonics

TDF-SM-10/125 Thulium-doped Optical Fiber

Cut off Wavelength 1900 nm; Core Dia. 10 µm; Cladding Dia. 125 µm; Core Absorption >60 dB/m FORC-Photonics’ TDF-SM-10/125 Thulium-doped single mode (SM) optical fiber is specially designed for highly efficient core pumping at 1550 to 1600 nm. Key Features: Thulium-doped Fiber Core Diameter: 10 µm Core Absorption: >60 dB/m Cladding Diameter: 125 µm Cut off Wavelength: 1900 nm Application: Highly Efficient Core Pumping at 1550 to 1600 nm

Product number: SW11011

Manufacturer: FORC Photonics

TYDF-DC-10/125 Thulium-Ytterbium Co-doped Optical Fiber

Cut off Wavelength 2600 nm; Numerical Aperture Clad 0.44; Core Dia. 11.5 µm; Cladding Dia. 125 µm FORC-Photonics’ TYDF-DC-10/125 Thulium-Ytterbium co-doped optical fiber is specially designed for highly efficient pumping with multi mode (MM) pump sources at 915/975 nm. Pumping with conventional sources near 790 nm is also possible, as well as core pumping with EDFL operating at 1550 to 1600nm. Key Features: Thulium-Ytterbium Co-doped Fiber Core Diameter: 11.5 µm Clad Absorption: >3.5, >5 dB/m Cladding Diameter: 125 µm Cut off Wavelength: 2600 nm Clad Numerical Aperture: 0.44 Application: Highly Efficient Pumping With Multi Mode (MM) Pump Sources at 915/075 nm

Product number: SW11010

Manufacturer: FORC Photonics

Ytterbium-doped Optical Fibers

Cut off Wavelength 800 to 1030 nm; Numerical Aperture 0.09 to >0.46; Core Dia. 5.5 to 10.0 µm; Cladding Dia. 90 to 400 µm FORC-Photonics’ series of photodarkening-free Yb-doped specialty optical fibers includes single mode (SM) and polarization maintaining (PM) fibers as well as variants with double cladding, large mode areas or tapered fibers. The YDF-SM-6/125 series of single mode Ytterbium-doped fiber is designed for operation without power degradation in core-pumped laser and amplifier schemes, while the YDF-DC-6/125 series of single mode Ytterbium-doped double clad fiber is specially designed for highly efficient high-reliability CW lasers operating in the 1030 to 1080 nm spectral range. Flat absorption in the range of 910 to 965 nm and specially designed polymer coating allow the usage of lasers based on such fibers in an extra wide temperature range (-60 to +60 °C). The YDF-DC-10/125 series of single mode Ytterbium-doped double clad fiber is designed for operation without any power degradation in high-peak-power cladding-pumped amplifiers. The highest clad absorption in the market allows usage of only 3 m of such fiber (with 976 nm pump) for efficient amplification. For all three fiber series (YDF-SM-6/125, YDF-DC-6/125, YDF-DC-10/125), variants with custom parameters including PM versions are available on request. FORC-Photonics’ YDF-DC-40/400-PM-TPR series of Ytterbium-doped tapered fibers is designed for operation without any power degradation in extremely high-peak-power cladding-pumped amplifiers. The tapered fiber design has a single mode end (typical dimension is 8/80 μm) for signal input and a very large mode area (LMA) end (typical dimension is 40/400 μm) for signal output and pump input. The YDF-DC-40/400-PM-TPR series’ all-glass, double-clad fiber design (based on highly F-doped second cladding with typical NA = 0.26) allows simple polishing of the thick 400 μm fiber end. Due to a high Yb concentration and a short tapered fiber length, amplifiers based on this fiber have the highest threshold of nonlinear effects on the market (up to 0.5 MW) together with very high, diffraction-limited beam quality at the output. Key Features: Ytterbium-doped Fibers Photodarkening-free Single and Double Clad Versions Core Diameter: 5.5 to 9 µm (Taper >40 µm) Cladding Diameter: 90 to 127 µm (Taper 400 µm) Cut off Wavelength: 800 to 1030 nm Core Numerical Aperture: 0.09, 0.16 Cladding Numerical Aperture: >0.26, 0.44, >0.46 Applications: Core-pumped Laser and Amplifier Schemes; Highly Efficient High-reliability CW Lasers; High-peak-power Cladding-pumped Amplifiers

Product number: SW11008

Manufacturer: FORC Photonics