Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Physics and Astronomy
Committee Chair/Advisor
Apparao Rao
Committee Member
Sumanta Tewari
Committee Member
Bradley Meyer
Abstract
Optical fiber laser systems offer advantages such as high optical gain, efficient cooling, and the production of high-quality optical beams. Fiber lasers are characterized by their unique core-cladding structure, providing optical benefits and mechanical properties that impact their performance. Interests in materials such as yttrium aluminum garnets (YAG) and lutetium oxide (Lu2O3 also lutetia) as laser mediums are due to their high average power capabilities, but thermal management remains a challenge. This thesis discusses the choice of ytterbium (Yb3+) as a dopant in YAG and lutetia, exploring its electronic structure and relevance to thermal properties. The thesis focuses on the development and implementation of optical fiber bend tests and thermal conductivity measurement techniques on reference materials. Mechanical properties can be evaluated using two-, three-, and four-point bend tests; however, a four-point bend model is introduced to investigate the mechanical effects of cladding. The parallel thermal conductance and optothermal Raman techniques are explored and tested with reference samples in order to use them to measure the thermal conductivity of optical fiber systems in future work.
Recommended Citation
Watkins, Evan, "Mechanical and Thermal Measurement Techniques for Crystalline-Core/Crystalline-Clad Optical Fibers" (2024). All Theses. 4293.
https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_theses/4293
Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0000-4300-7868