Abstract

A phenomenon that results in the catastrophic destruction of an optical-fiber core has been observed at propagating powers of the order of 1 W or higher.¹ The effect, which is accompanied by a bright white light propagating down the fiber, prompted the term "fiber fuse." The mechanism was originally theorized to be self-propelled self-focusing.¹ Other experiments have found evidence for thermal shock waves² and chemical reactions.³ Because fiber amplifiers and lasers continue to increase in power, further experiments were performed to explore possible power limitations of different fiber types and connections.

© 1995 Optical Society of America