Abstract
The paraxial propagation of spatially random monochromatic light in a fiber with an absorbing core is treated as a model for pump absorption in a double-clad optical fiber amplifier. Mode coupling caused by fluctuations of the index of refraction is considered a mechanism that increases the pump absorption and is analyzed in the speckle-mode approximation for the example of a Kerr nonlinearity. The original method of approximate images is described; it allows the use of a fast Fourier transform for numerical simulations in curvilinear regions. Simulations demonstrate the validity of the speckle-mode estimations. For a continuous-wave pump in silica fibers, the electronic Kerr effect is shown to be too small to enhance pump absorption; however, estimates show that the thermal nonlinearity may have a significant effect. The electronic Kerr nonlinearity in the cladding can be significant for a pulsed pump source.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 743-749 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of the Optical Society of America B: Optical Physics |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2001 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Statistical and Nonlinear Physics
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics