Measurements of temperature quenching effects in nd-doped alumino-silicate optical fiber preforms

It is well known that Al doping increases the miscibility of Nd doped silicate glasses, leading to reduced concentration quenching [1]. This is particularly important in applications involving output power scale-up in Nd-doped double-clad fiber lasers since it permits higher pump absorption efficiency, shorter fiber lengths and increased quantum efficiency [2]. However, as pump power in the tens or even hundreds of watts range becomes available from GaAs laser diode bars [3], the degradation of Nd-fiber laser quantum efficiency with increasing temperature (temperature quenching) may become significant. [4]