Elemental analysis of glass optical fibres with high spatial resolution.

The properties of glass optical fibres are very strongly dependent on the elemental concentration profiles of the fibre cores. Core dopants such as germanium define the core refractive index, which in turn defines the manner in which the light is transmitted through the fibre. Erbium in fibre cores can facilitate the operation of fibre lasers and aluminium in turn can control the erbium distribution. The aim of the project described in this thesis was to measure the elemental concentration profiles in a variety of fibre cores using X-ray microanalysis in an electron microscope. Conventional X-ray microanalysis of bulk samples has an analytical resolution in the order of a micron. With monomode optical fibre cores having cores typically three microns in diameter the resolution of the conventional technique is plainly inadequate.An experimental technique has been developed for the preparation of thin cross-sectional samples of glass optical fibres. Application of this technique has facilitated the preparation and analysis of thin film specimens with an average thickness of 400 microns. This approach has allowed analysis to be performed with an effective spatial resolution of 100-300 nm.The technique has been applied to the determination of germanium concentration in Raman fibres, to the investigation of erbium confinement in erbium doped fibres and to the investigation of inter-ionic diffusion in semiconductor doped fibres. It has been shown that the germanium, and hence refractive index, profile of germanium doped fibres is not changed by the process of fibre drawing. Evidence has been gathered supporting the theory of erbium confinement by aluminium and an important degree of elemental diffusion has been shown to take place during the drawing of semiconductor doped fibres.In addition an experimental technique has been developed for the preparation of thin cross-sectional samples of glass optical fibres.