Simultaneous observation of photobleaching and photorefractive effects in germanium-doped optical fibers

Abstract
Photobleaching and photorefractive effects caused by intense pulsed laser irradiation at 532 nm have been observed simultaneously in a germanium-doped monomode fiber. A decrease of up to 4.1*10/sup -4/ in the refractive index of the core at 633 nm was inferred from the change in the radiation pattern of a probe beam and also from the change in the cutoff wavelength of the LP/sub 11/ mode. The effect is attributed to the bleaching of preexisting Ge(1) color centers in the fiber.