Effect of optical fiber end face scratches on laser-induced damage threshold

Abstract

The scratches on the fiber end face can enhance the local electrical field, which lowers the damage threshold. The damage mechanism of a high-energy laser is investigated. The effect of scratches on the electric field is simulated by the finite difference time domain (FDTD) solution. The results show that the depth of the scratch has a greater ability to influence the electric field than the width, and multiple scratches have a stronger modulation than a single scratch. In calculation, the damage threshold of the scratch-free end face is 0.456J/cm2 when the incident light electric field intensity is 50MV/cm, compared to 0.345J/cm2 in the presence of the scratch on the end face.