FABRICATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF A DYE DOPED HOLLOW

POLYMER OPTICAL FIBRE

M.Kailasnath1, Ravi Kumar2, Krishna Murari2, VPN.Nampoori1, P.Radhakrishnan1
International School of Photonics1, Centre of Excellence in Lasers and Optoelectronic Sciences2.
Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi 682022
kailas@cusat.ac.in

ABSTRACT

A Rhodamine 6G doped hollow polymer optical fibre has been fabricated and characterized. The technique of side illumination fluorescence was
used for the characterization of the fibre. A DPSS laser emitting at 532nm & 488nm line of an Argon ion Laser were used as the pump sources. Fluo-
rescence studies of fibre using 488nm line showed that when filled with an aqueous solution of FDS (Sodium Fluoresceine) dye, it offers a wide
range of tunability and multi wavelength operation at specific point of illumination. The shifts in the peak wavlengths of the spectra were also stud-
ied. It was observed that a red shift of around 60nm occurred for the propagation length of around 10cm, which leads to a wide tunability.

EXPERIMENTAL
A dye doped (Rh-6G 10^-5 m/l) hollow polymer optical fiber was fabricated.
Fluorescence emission spectra from the dye doped hollow polymer optical fiber were measured by the technique of
side illumination fluorescence using excitation wavelengths 488nm ( Ar-ion laser)and 532nm ( DPSS laser).
The dye doped hollow polymer optical fiber was filled with aqueous solution of sodium fluoresceine (FDS) and the
spectra were recorded using 488nm laser.
Undoped hollow fiber was filled with a mixture of FDS & Rh 6G solution and the spectra was recorded.
Tuning charateristics were studied.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Fig. 1. Absorption / emission
spectra of Sodium fluores-
cein in water and Rh 6G in
PMMA
By using transverse excitation
technique, fluorescence spectra
from the dye hollow was recorded
by changing the point of excita-
tion from a 10cm long hollow
fibre filled with aqueous solution
of Sodium fluorescein (10^-4 m/l)
Fig .2 Variation of fluores-
cence intensity from Rh 6G
doped hollow fibre with dis-
tance from point of illumi-
nation at 488nm excitation
There is considerable
enhancement in the fluores-
cence intensity and a notice-
able reduction in the FWHM
with distance of propagation.
Fig .3 Variation of fluores- Fig 4. Variation of fluores- Fig .5 Variation of fluores-
cence intensity from Rh 6G cence intensity of the cence intensity from Rh 6G
doped hollow fibre with dis- Sodium fluorescein solution : Sodium Flurescein mixture
tance from point of illumi- filled Rh 6G doped hollow solution (1:1) filled undoped
nation at 532 nm excitation fibre with distance from the hollow fibre with distance
point of illumination at from point of illumination at
The emission intensity saturates 488nm excitation 488nm excitation
at a fibre length of about 3cm but The possibility of multi peak emission
above this it decreases. This result is very less as for choosen lenghts. Beyond a length of 1cm both the
suggests that there is an opti- The emission is either around 510nm peaks corresponding to the dyes
mum fiber length for maximum or 560 nm. For fiber lengths up to are distinct. Interestingly no
gain with 532 nm exctation. For 3mm , the emission is dominated by prominent wavelength shifts
488nm excitation this optimum the contribution from the FDS solu- were noticed even though there
length may be beyond the 10cm. tion where as the fibre fluorescence is considerable increase in the
dominates beyond that length. emission intensity.

The Rh-6G doped

hollow fibre filled with
FDS solution gives rise
to a tunability of about
60 nm as compared
with the 32nm for the
doped hollow fibre with
out dye filling.We also
found that the tunability
of the dye solution
filled in an undoped
hollow fibre is com-
paratively less ~14 nm.
As the fluorescence
Fig.6. Tuning characteristics of 10 cm fibre : A-Dye light is guided through
doped hollow fibre at 488nm excitation, B-Dye the dye solution filled
doped hollow fibre at 532nm excitation, C-FDS so- fiber, the effective path
lution filled hollow fibre at 532nm excitation, D- length increases result-
Rh6G:RhB solution filled hollow fibre at 488nm ex- ing in self-absorption
citation, E-Rh6G:RhB solution filled hollow fibre at and re-emission caus-
532nm excitation, F- FDS solution filled undoped ing a red shift in the ob-
hollow fibre at 488nm excitation served spectrum.
CONCLUSION
Any increase in the interaction length of the medium is equivalent to the increase
in concentration of the dye molecules, which results in an enhanced gain. The value
of gain reaches a maximum and beyond a certain length, it was found to decrease.
In a dye solution filled dye doped hollow fibre, the emission wavelength can be
selected by appropriate choice of the fibre length.
Multi peak emissions are possible by using a dye mixture filled undoped hollow fibre
Maximum tunability can be obtained by using a Rh 6G doped hollow fibre filled with
FDS solution. there is a red shift for the fluorescence with increase in the propaga-
tion distance
The result from the present study on the liquid fibre can be extended to different
solvents for the development of a high gain optical medium and tunable optical
amplifiers operating in the visible region
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