Heat-induced darkening and spectral broadening in photodarkened ytterbium-doped fiber under thermal cycling

We study thermal bleaching of photodarkening-induced loss in a 20-microm core diameter, large-mode-area ytterbium-doped silica fiber. Pristine and photodarkened samples are subjected to thermal cycling pulses. Recovery of the photodarkened fiber absorption coefficient initiates at approximately 350 degrees C and complete recovery is reached at approximately 625 degrees C. However, prior to recovery, the photodarkened fiber exhibits further heat-induced increase of absorption loss. This increase of loss is attributed to both a permanent increase of loss-inducing color centers and a temperature-dependent broadening of the absorption spectrum. Post-irradiation heat-induced formation of color centers suggests the presence of an intermediate energy state in the near-infrared photochemical mechanism for photodarkening.