Luminescence-quenched ytterbium-doped optical fiber microheater and its applications (Conference Presentation)

An optical fiber-based microheater is described. The fiber, a highly Yb-doped (23.4wt% Yb2O3) silicate glass, can produce thermal power densities in excess of 10 W/nL via optical pumping at 976nm. No evidence of luminescence is observed, indicating efficient conversion from optical to thermal energy. Demonstrated are two applications for this microheater. The first is an all-optical-fiber Pirani thermal vacuum gauge, which uses a dual-fiber configuration. The second is an all-optically-driven, all-optical-fiber, Mach-Zehnder-based modulator. The phase delay, introduced by inserting the microheater into one interferometer arm, is a function of its temperature and can be actively controlled by the pump power.