Recently, with the escalating demands for optical communications, the need for bandwidth in optical communication network has increased. The technology breakthrough indry fiber fabrication opens the possibility for fiber bandwidth form 1.3 to 1.6 £gm. Cr4+:YAG double-clad crystal fiber (DCF) grown by the co-drawing laser-heated pedestal growth method has a strong spontaneous emission spectum form 1.3 to 1.6 £gm. Such fiber is therefore, eminently suitable for optical coherence tomography (OCT), broadband optical amplifier, amplifier spontaneous emission (ASE) light source, and tunable solid-state laser applications. In this thesis, multilayer dielectric thin films were directly deposited by E-gun coating onto the end faces of the Cr4+:YAG DCF. To improve the thin-film quality, to increase transmittance of laser output, and to design for the high power laser. For broadband optical amplifier in dual-pump and double-pass scheme, a 3.0-dB gross gain, a 3.0-dB insertion loss, and a 0-dB net gain at 1.4-£gm signal wavelength have been successfully developed with HR coating onto one of the Cr4+:YAG DCF end faces. In addition, we have successfully developed the Cr4+:YAG DCF laser by direct HR coatings onto fiber end faces and increase transmittance of laser output. A record-low threshold of 31.2 mW with a slope efficiency of 7.5% was achieved at room temperature.

Cr4+ doped Yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) has a strong spontaneous emission that can generate near-infrared emission from 1.2 to 1.6 £gm. This broadband emission have aroused great interest in developing tunable wavelength lasers and amplified spontaneous emitter (ASE).In this dissertation, The valence states of Cr ions in Ca or Ca/Mg co-doped Cr:YAG single-crystal fibers are studied. The fibers were grown using the laser-heated pedestal growth (LHPG) method, followed by annealing treatments up to 1500 oC. The concentrations of the Cr3+ and Cr4+ ions in octahedral and tetrahedral sites in oxygen or nitrogen environments were characterized for the first time to our knowledge. Above 700 oC, migration of Cr4+ between octahedral and tetrahedral sites takes place, the ratio is about 4%; its relative stabilization energy was estimated. For Ca,Cr:YAG annealed in an oxygen or nitrogen environment, it was 0.25 and 0.3 eV, respectively. For Mg,Ca,Cr:YAG annealed in oxygen or nitrogen, it was 0.47 and 0.49 eV, respectively. For the Ca,Cr:YAG crystal fiber (Ca/Cr=113.1%) with oxygen annealing, about 35% and 2.5% of Ca ions took part in charge compensation for Cr4+ in the octahedral and tetrahedral sites, respectively. The density of oxygen vacancies depends on the concentration of Ca ions. The estimated ratios of the unreacted oxygen vacancies to total oxygen vacancies were about 63% and 88% for oxygen and nitrogen annealing, respectively. The main limitation on the concentration of Cr4+ in the tetrahedral site of YAG is the presence of unreacted oxygen vacancies. Furthermore, chromium ions tend to diffuse outward during the LHPG of YAG crystal fiber, in which the average Cr4+ ion concentration decreases significantly after each diameter-reduction step. The Cr4+ ions are replenished using an electron gun to deposit Cr2O3 and divalent-ion oxide (CaO or MgO) on the source rod circumference before growth. It was observed that Ca2+ has better efficiency to diffuse into the source rod more efficiently than Mg2+generating fewer defects and stacking faults. By CaO deposition and post growth annealing at 1350 oC under an oxygen environment, a 110% increase in Cr4+ concentration was obtained. The achieved Cr4+ concentration and the ratio of Cr4+ to total Cr were 1.76 10^18 cm^-3 and 5.5, respectively.

O apelo estético da odontologia moderna tem impulsionado a busca por materiais cerâmicos de alto desempenho estético e mecânico. Este trabalho objetivou o desenvolvimento de fibras cerâmicas de alumina/aluminato de gadolínio (Al2O3/GdAlO3) obtidas por meio de fusão a laser (laser heated pedestal growth LHPG) e a sua aplicação como reforço de materiais odontológicos. Os pedestais foram obtidos a partir da mistura dos pós precursores (óxido de gadolínio (Gd2O3) e óxido de alumínio (Al2O3) pré-sinterizados para a obtenção de fibras de Al2O3/GdAlO3 de 0,8 mm de diâmetro médio. Variou-se: a velocidade de puxamento das fibras de 48mm/h a 240mm/h, em pedestais de composição eutética; e em outro grupo a composição dos pedestais (da composição eutética (23 mol% de Gd2O3 e 77 mol% de Al2O3) a 5 % (em peso) de excesso de Al2O3), puxadas com velocidade fixa de 96 mm/h. A melhor condição de obtenção da fibra foi com a velocidade de puxamento de 240mm/h que forneceu fibras com 0,6m de espaçamento médio entre as fases e 1790 MPa de resistência à flexão. Quando as fibras foram aplicadas como reforço de porcelana odontológica houve um aumento da resistência à flexão de 91MPa para 218MPa. Por meio desta metodologia, observou-se que as fibras cerâmica de Al2O3/GdAlO3 apresentaram elevado desempenho mecânico e compatibilidade com porcelanas odontológicas que indicam uma grande potencialidade de uso como reforço estrutural de cerâmicas odontológicas. / The esthetic appeal of modern Dentistry has prompted the search for ceramic materials with high esthetic and mechanical performance. This research aimed at the development of Al2O3/GdAlO3 ceramic fibers, obtained by laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) and its application as reinforcement of dental materials. Pedestals were obtained from the mixture of precursor powders (Gd2O3 e Al2O3), pre-sintered to form Al2O3/ GdAlO3 fibers with average diameter of 0,8 mm. Variables were: fiber pulling rates (in pedestals of eutectic composition): from 48 mm/h to 240 mm/h; and pedestal composition: from eutectic composition (23 mol% of Gd2O3 and 77 mol% of Al2O3) to 5 wt% of excess Al2O3, pulled at 96 mm/h. The best results were obtained with a pulling rate of 240 mm/h, which originated fibers with average distance between phases of 0.6 m and three-point bending flexural strength of 1790 MPa. When fibers were used as re-enforcement of dental porcelain (Cerabien- Noritake), an increase in flexural strength from 91 MPa to 218 MPa was obtained. The methods employed in this study allowed the observation that Al2O3/GdAlO3 ceramic fibers presented high mechanical performance and compatibility with dental porcelain, indicating a significant potential as re-enforcement of dental ceramics for infrastructure.

Rapid development of fiber-optic communications network requirements increasing in recent years, The WDM technology and invention of anhydrous optical fiber open the possibility for optical fiber transmission bands broaden form 1.3 £gm to 1.6 £gm. Chromium doped yttrium aluminum garnet crystal fiber has characteristic of 300 nm broadband. Therefore, it¡¦s strongly desirable to develop a broadband fiber amplifier, laser or other active components for extending the flexibility of system architecture design in optical fiber communication. A few-mode chromium doped yttrium aluminum garnet double-clad crystalline fibers has been demonstrated by employing a modified version of LHPG technique, means using silica-YAG crystal co-drawing and multiple core-tuning process by precisely controlled inter-diffusion between YAG core and silica tube. In this thesis, electron probe x-ray micro-analysis, energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy were utilized to confirm this fiber structure and composition. This fiber has gross gain about 2.3 dB with dual pumped by few hundred mini Watt. Significantly reduce the pump power threshold. Compared with the last large core size, few-mode (small core size) chromium doped yttrium aluminum garnet double-clad crystalline fibers has lower heat effect and higher power efficiency. To enhance the optical properties towards few modes or even single mode, not only reduce the transmission loss, but improve the device efficiency. Key words: Laser heated pedestal growth, Cr4+:YAG, Double-clad Crystal Fiber, gain

O apelo estético da odontologia moderna tem impulsionado a busca por materiais cerâmicos de alto desempenho estético e mecânico. Este trabalho objetivou o desenvolvimento de fibras cerâmicas de alumina/aluminato de gadolínio (Al2O3/GdAlO3) obtidas por meio de fusão a laser (laser heated pedestal growth LHPG) e a sua aplicação como reforço de materiais odontológicos. Os pedestais foram obtidos a partir da mistura dos pós precursores (óxido de gadolínio (Gd2O3) e óxido de alumínio (Al2O3) pré-sinterizados para a obtenção de fibras de Al2O3/GdAlO3 de 0,8 mm de diâmetro médio. Variou-se: a velocidade de puxamento das fibras de 48mm/h a 240mm/h, em pedestais de composição eutética; e em outro grupo a composição dos pedestais (da composição eutética (23 mol% de Gd2O3 e 77 mol% de Al2O3) a 5 % (em peso) de excesso de Al2O3), puxadas com velocidade fixa de 96 mm/h. A melhor condição de obtenção da fibra foi com a velocidade de puxamento de 240mm/h que forneceu fibras com 0,6m de espaçamento médio entre as fases e 1790 MPa de resistência à flexão. Quando as fibras foram aplicadas como reforço de porcelana odontológica houve um aumento da resistência à flexão de 91MPa para 218MPa. Por meio desta metodologia, observou-se que as fibras cerâmica de Al2O3/GdAlO3 apresentaram elevado desempenho mecânico e compatibilidade com porcelanas odontológicas que indicam uma grande potencialidade de uso como reforço estrutural de cerâmicas odontológicas. / The esthetic appeal of modern Dentistry has prompted the search for ceramic materials with high esthetic and mechanical performance. This research aimed at the development of Al2O3/GdAlO3 ceramic fibers, obtained by laser heated pedestal growth (LHPG) and its application as reinforcement of dental materials. Pedestals were obtained from the mixture of precursor powders (Gd2O3 e Al2O3), pre-sintered to form Al2O3/ GdAlO3 fibers with average diameter of 0,8 mm. Variables were: fiber pulling rates (in pedestals of eutectic composition): from 48 mm/h to 240 mm/h; and pedestal composition: from eutectic composition (23 mol% of Gd2O3 and 77 mol% of Al2O3) to 5 wt% of excess Al2O3, pulled at 96 mm/h. The best results were obtained with a pulling rate of 240 mm/h, which originated fibers with average distance between phases of 0.6 m and three-point bending flexural strength of 1790 MPa. When fibers were used as re-enforcement of dental porcelain (Cerabien- Noritake), an increase in flexural strength from 91 MPa to 218 MPa was obtained. The methods employed in this study allowed the observation that Al2O3/GdAlO3 ceramic fibers presented high mechanical performance and compatibility with dental porcelain, indicating a significant potential as re-enforcement of dental ceramics for infrastructure.

¡@¡@We integrated the laser-heated pedestal growth (LHPG) system with accurately controlled electrodes to build up our in situ poling system. The ZnO and MgO doped periodically poled lithium niobate crystal fiber were fabricated with the poling system. This poling system has the advantage of convenience and fast growth, but the ¡§screen effect¡¨ caused by free charges which exist near the molten zone must be eliminated. The micro swing resulted from the electric force is a feasible solution, because it can disarrange the free charges and reduce the ¡§screen effect¡¨. However, without excellently controlled micro swing, the uniformity of the poled domain pitch will loose and the conversion efficiency can not be improved. After analysis of the measured current data, the approximate system current model was presented and the proportional dependence between system current and micro swing was verified. Thus the system current was applied as the micro swing feedback signal, with that the variation of the micro swing was reduced from 25% to 15%. The stability of CO2 laser power is also a dominant factor to determine the quality of poled crystal fiber. The variation of the CO2 laser power was controlled within 1%. All the complicated works and precise control during the crystal fiber growth were accomplished with the LabVIEW program. ¡@¡@A novel and simple self-cascaded SHG + SFG scheme is presented for the generation of tunable blue/green light using ZnO doped periodically poled lithium niobate crystal fiber (PPLNCF) with a single designed pitch. A PPLNCF with a uniform period of 15.45£gm, the maximum conversion efficiency for the second harmonic generation and the cascaded SHG + SFG blue light can reach up to -9.2 dB and -31.9 dB, respectively. The 3 dB bandwidth of the tunable blue light is 3 nm (475-478 nm). In order to expand the tuning bandwidth range, a QPM gradient periodical structure was designed and can provide a 3 dB bandwidth of 65 nm for the tunable blue/green light output by simulation. We have successfully grown a crystal fiber with the domain pitch of 18.9 £gm for the C-band wavelength converter. The crystal length is 1.8 mm, the effective nonlinear coefficient of the lithium niobate crystal fiber is 18.2 pm/V that equals 0.53¡Ñdideal (34.4 pm/V). The conversion efficiency for converting the CW laser in C-band is about -59.3 dB.