Coupling Efficiency and Laser-Induced Damage Threshold Characterization of an End-Capped Optical Fiber with a Sub-Nanosecond Pulsed Laser

Abstract

This report presents experimental measurements of coupling efficiency and laser-induced damage thresholds for a polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber patchcord with integrated end caps, evaluated at 532 nm using a compact actively Q-switched DPSS laser with sub-nanosecond pulses. It also describes the development of a custom free-space coupling array through which the problem of low coupling efficiency was identified and successfully addressed. No instantaneous damage was observed at peak power densities exceeding 10 GW/cm$^2$. Sustained operation at 30 kHz was maintained over extended durations (>5 h) at peak power densities of ~13 GW/cm$^2$, while prolonged 1 kHz operation led to gradual degradation at peak power densities of ~24 GW/cm$^2$. The broader context of this work is the investigation of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in optical fibers for nonlinear frequency conversion. This process requires the efficient delivery of high-peak-power pulses into the fiber, which serves as the nonlinear medium. In the course of these experiments, a substantial dataset was accumulated on fiber coupling performance and damage thresholds under repeated high-intensity illumination at 532 nm. These characterization data offer practical insight into the operational limits of end-capped PM fibers in demanding pulsed laser applications.