Optical fiber for handling higher powers

• Main Authors: SAMSON BRYCE N, CARTER ADRIAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.10.2005
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS

An optical fiber comprising a core having an outer region disposed about an inner region and an intensity profile having a highest intensity that is less than the highest intensity of a Gaussian intensity profile that is normalized to have the same power as the intensity profile. The outer region can comprise an index of refraction that is greater than an index of refraction comprised by the inner region. The outer region can comprise a first concentration of a selected rare earth and any concentration of the selected rare earth comprised by the inner region can be less than the selected concentration. The inner region can include first and second rare earths and the outer region can be photosensitive. A second cladding can be included. A fiber according to the invention can be birefringent and can include, for example, at least one longitudinally extending stress inducing region for creating birefringence.