No description available.

No description available.

La grande cohérence temporelle du signal émis par un oscillateur laser, en comparaison aux autres sources lumineuses, constitue une des propriétés les plus remarquables du laser. Aujourd'hui, un grand nombre d'applications allant de la spectroscopie à la télédétection reposent sur un laser stabilisé, c'est-à-dire d'un laser mono fréquence dont la cohérence temporelle est améliorée par asservissement à une référence externe. Le développement des horloges atomiques optiques et des détecteurs d'ondes gravitationnelles, deux efforts de recherche de portée mondiale qui repoussent continuellement les limites technologiques, est par ailleurs étroitement lié aux progrès dans le domaine de la stabilisation laser. À ce jour, les signaux laser les plus cohérents ont été produits par asservissement à des cavités en espace libre de type Fabry-Perot hautement découplées d'un environnement de laboratoire contrôlé. Dans les cinquante dernières années, ces cavités ont été le sujet d'un intense effort de recherche par les principaux laboratoires de métrologie nationaux ; leur performance est présentement limitée par des fluctuations thermodynamiques de la taille des miroirs délimitant la cavité, une limite qui semble pour l'instant difficile à surmonter. Il y a un intérêt à étudier d'autres types de références externes, non seulement pour établir s'il est possible de vaincre la limite de stabilité actuelle en poussant le progrès dans une direction alternative, mais aussi parce que la complexité des meilleures cavités en espace libre les rend peu attrayantes dans toutes les applications pour lesquelles une stabilité laser record n'est pas requise. Les travaux de recherche présentés dans cette thèse sont unis sous le thème de l'optimisation des interféromètres à fibre optique. Ces interféromètres, tout comme les cavités Fabry-Perot qui ont fait l'objet d'une recherche beaucoup plus poussée, peuvent agir à titre de référence externe pour la stabilisation laser ; ils affichent une performance typiquement déterminée soit par le bruit de photodétection, soit par les fluctuations de longueur et d'indice de la fibre constituant le bras de délai dans une configuration Michelson ou Mach-Zehnder. Fondamentalement, la stabilité ultime d'un laser verrouillé à un tel interféromètre est limitée par les fluctuations d'origine thermodynamique du parcours optique dans la fibre, une limite qui est plus élevée que la limite analogue dans une cavité en espace libre dans la mesure où une fibre de silice conventionnelle est considérée. En comparaison, ces interféromètres fibrés sont toutefois plus simples à construire et à opérer. Les trois premiers articles présentés dans cette thèse s'intéressent au cas d'un interféromètre fibré limité par le bruit de photodétection. Cette condition est normalement atteinte lorsqu'une relativement courte fibre optique est utilisée. On y montre qu'une limite de stabilité fondamentale associée au bruit de grenaille peut être calculée. Surtout, on établit pour la première fois que cette limite peut être asymptotiquement atteinte peu importe la méthode de détection et le point d'opération utilisés, pour autant que deux conditions soient respectées : que tous les signaux interférométriques disponibles soient indépendamment enregistrés et combinés de façon optimale et que le caractère cyclostationnaire du bruit de grenaille soit soigneusement considéré pour la construction de la forme d'onde de démodulation (si le signal laser est modulé). On présente aussi une nouvelle méthode, similaire à la détection auto-hétérodyne, permettant de minimiser l'impact des bruits de photodétection d'origine technique et faciliter l'opération à la limite du bruit de grenaille. Les deux derniers articles de cette thèse s'intéressent plutôt au cas d'un interféromètre dont la performance est limitée par le bruit de longueur optique fondamental de la fibre, ce qui est pertinent pour une fibre de longueur intermédiaire. On y montre que des fibres à coeur creux récemment développées, les fibres antirésonantes, exhibent des propriétés les rendant utilisables aux fins de la stabilisation laser et potentiellement compétitives vis-à-vis des fibres conventionnelles et peut-être même des cavités en espace libre. En particulier, on démontre que ces fibres à coeur creux, lorsque évacuées, affichent un coefficient de rétrodiffusion Rayleigh qui est de quatre ordres de grandeur inférieur à celui d'une fibre conventionnelle ; leur bruit thermoconductif est aussi plus faible par 5 dB à 20 kHz et peut vraisemblablement être diminué davantage. De futurs travaux pourront confirmer si le bruit fondamental de ces fibres est aussi faible qu'envisagé pour les basses fréquences, ce qui permettrait de considérer leur utilisation pour faire véritable compétition aux cavités ultra-stables. / The great temporal coherence of the signal emitted by a laser oscillator, compared to other light sources, constitutes one of the most remarkable properties of the laser. Today, a large number of applications ranging from spectroscopy to remote sensing rely on a stabilized laser, that is, a single-frequency laser whose temporal coherence is improved by locking it to an external reference. The development of optical atomic clocks and gravitational wave detectors, two world-class research efforts that are constantly pushing technological boundaries, is also closely related to advances in laser stabilization. To this day, the most coherent laser signals have been produced by locking lasers to free-space Fabry-Perot cavities highly decoupled from a controlled laboratory environment. In the last fifty years, such cavities have been the subject of an intense research effort by the main national metrology laboratories; their performance is currently limited by thermodynamic fluctuations in the dimensions of the mirrors delimiting the cavity, a limit which currently appears difficult to overcome. There is an interest in studying other types of external references, not only to establish whether it is possible to beat the current stability limit by pushing progress in an alternative direction, but also because the complexity of the best free-space cavities makes them unattractive in all applications for which record stability is not required. The research work presented in this thesis is united under the theme of the optimization of fiber interferometers. Such interferometers, just like the Fabry-Perot cavities which have been the subject of much more extensive research, can act as an external reference for laser stabilization; they display a performance typically determined either by the photodetection noise or by the length and index fluctuations of the optical fiber constituting the delay arm in a Michelson or Mach-Zehnder configuration. Fundamentally, the ultimate stability of a laser locked to such an interferometer is limited by thermodynamic fluctuations of the optical path through the fiber, a limit which is higher than the analogous limit in a free-space cavity when a conventional silica fiber is considered. In comparison, however, these fiber interferometers are simpler to build and operate. The three first articles presented in this thesis focus on the case of a fiber interferometer limited by photodetection noise. This condition is normally reached when a relatively short optical fiber is used. It is shown that a fundamental stability limit associated with shot noise can be calculated. Most importantly, it is established for the first time that this limit can be asymptotically attained regardless of the detection method and the operating point that are used, provided that two conditions are met: that all available interferometric signals are independently recorded and combined in a optimal manner and that the cyclostationary nature of shot noise is carefully considered when constructing the demodulation waveform (if the laser signal is modulated). We also introduce a new method, similar to self-heterodyne detection, which allows the minimization of technical photodetection noise and facilitates shot-noise-limited operation. The last two articles of this thesis rather concern the case of an interferometer whose performance is limited by the fiber's fundamental optical path noise, which is relevant when the delay fiber is of intermediate length. It is shown that recently developed antiresonant hollow-core fibers exhibit properties that make them suitable for the purposes of laser stabilization and potentially competitive with conventional silica fibers and perhaps even free-space cavities. In particular, it is demonstrated that these hollow-core fibers, when evacuated, display a Rayleigh backscattering coefficient which is four orders of magnitude lower than that of a conventional fiber; their thermoconductive noise is also lower by 5 dB at 20 kHz and can likely be reduced further. Future work will confirm whether the fundamental noise of these fibers at low frequencies is as low as currently anticipated, which would allow their consideration to truly compete with ultra-stable free-space cavities.

Il y a maintenant des dizaines d'années que les lasers visibles ont fait leur entrée sur le marché et que leur utilité est aussi bien reconnue en sciences fondamentales qu'en sciences appliquées. Ces derniers sont en effet notamment utilisés pour effectuer des traitements médicaux, pour faire avancer la recherche dans le secteur biomédical, pour procéder à l'usinage de matériaux et pour communiquer sous l'eau. Bien que l'utilisation des lasers visibles soit largement répandue, les sources actuellement disponibles comportent toujours des failles majeures en matière de performances, de simplicité et de robustesse. Alors que les fibres optiques dopées aux ions de lanthanides ont la capacité de générer des signaux laser d'une qualité impeccable à travers des montages simples, compacts et robustes, ces dernières ont le potentiel de révolutionner l'industrie des lasers visibles. Cette thèse porte sur le développement de lasers à fibre optique opérant dans la région visible du spectre électromagnétique. L'opération de tels lasers est étudiée en régime continu ainsi qu'en régime pulsé, de manière à générer des impulsions ultrabrèves. Le premier chapitre de cette thèse porte sur le développement d'un laser basé sur une fibre de verre fluoré dopée au praséodyme triplement ionisé opérant en régime continu à 635 nm. Ce laser, qui génère la plus haute puissance rapportée à ce jour pour un laser à fibre visible monomode, possède une architecture entièrement monolithique, ce qui ouvre la voie au développement de lasers visibles fiables, compacts et à hautes puissances. Le chapitre suivant présente un laser basé sur une fibre de silice dopée au dysprosium triplement ionisé opérant en régime continu à 585 nm. Le système laser proposé repose sur ce que l'on peut sans doute décrire comme l'installation la plus robuste, la plus solide et la plus simple rapportée à ce jour pour un laser à fibre visible, en plus de battre le record de puissance pour les lasers à fibre de silice visibles. Alors que l'irradiation de la pompe provoque du photo-noircissement, une réduction significative des pertes photo-induites est démontrée grâce à un processus de photo-blanchiment. Le dernier chapitre de cette thèse est consacré au développement du premier laser à fibre visible générant des impulsions femtosecondes, ce qui constitue une avancée majeure dans le domaine des lasers à fibre visibles. La démonstration est basée sur la rotation non linéaire de la polarisation dans une fibre monomode de verre fluoré dopée au praséodyme triplement ionisé opérant à 635 nm. / Visible lasers have now been on the market for decades, and their usefulness in both fundamental and applied sciences is well recognized. They are for instance used for medical treatments, biomedical research, material processing and underwater communications. Although the use of visible lasers is widely spread, currently available sources still have major shortcomings in terms of performance, simplicity and robustness. While lanthanide-doped optical fibers have the ability to generate laser signals of impeccable quality through simple, compact and robust assemblies, they have the potential to revolutionize the visible laser industry. This thesis focuses on the development of fiber lasers operating in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The operation of such lasers is studied in both continuous and pulsed modes, so as to generate ultra-short pulses. The first chapter of this thesis deals with the development of a laser based on a praseodymium-doped fluoride fiber operating in the continuous wave regime at 635 nm. This laser, which generates the highest power reported to date for a single-mode visible fiber laser, features a fully monolithic architecture, paving the way for the development of reliable, compact, and high-power visible lasers. The following chapter presents a laser based on a dysprosium-doped silica fiber operating in the continuous wave regime at 585 nm. The proposed laser system is based on what can arguably be described as the most rugged, robust and simple setup reported to date for a visible fiber laser, and breaks the power record for visible silica fiber lasers. While irradiation of the pump causes photodarkening, a significant reduction in photo-induced losses is demonstrated via a photobleaching process. The final chapter of this thesis is devoted to the development of the first visible fiber laser to generate femtosecond pulses, representing a major breakthrough in the field of visible fiber lasers. The demonstration is based on non-linear polarization rotation in a single-mode praseodymium-doped fluoride fiber operating at 635 nm.

Mid-infrared (IR) lasers (2-12 μm) have found tremendous applications in medical surgeries, spectroscopy, remote sensing, etc. Nowadays, mid-IR emissions are usually generated from semiconductor lasers, gas lasers, and solid-state lasers based on nonlinear wavelength conversion. However, they usually have disadvantages including poor beam quality, low efficiency, and complicated configurations. Mid-IR fiber lasers have the advantages of excellent beam quality, high efficiency, inherent simplicity, compactness, and outstanding heat-dissipating capability, and have attracted significant interest in recent years. In this dissertation, I have studied and investigated Q-switched and mode-locked fiber lasers in the mid-IR wavelength region. My dissertation includes six chapters: In Chapter 1, I review the background of mid-IR lasers and address my motivation on the research of mid-IR fiber lasers; In Chapter 2, I present the experimental results of microsecond and nanosecond Er³⁺-doped and Ho³⁺-doped fiber lasers in the 3 μm wavelength region Q-switched by Fe²⁺:ZnSe and graphene saturable absorbers. In Chapter 3, Q-switched 3 μm laser fiber amplifiers are investigated experimentally and theoretically and their power scaling are discussed. In Chapter 4, a graphene mode-locked Er³⁺-doped fiber lasers at 2.8 μm with a pulse width < 50 ps is presented. In Chapter 5, extending the spectral range of mid-IR fiber lasers by use of nonlinear wavelength conversion is addressed and discussed. I have proposed 10-watt-level 3-5 μm Raman lasers using tellurite fibers as the nonlinear gain medium and pumped by our Er³⁺-doped fiber lasers at 2.8 μm. In the last chapter, the prospect of mid-IR fiber laser is addressed and further research work is discussed.

The free electron laser (FEL) is among the latest technologies of interest to the U.S. military, in particular, the Navy. In naval applications, FEL laser would serve as a self-defense weapon system, protecting the ship from an array of threats including anti-surface cruise missiles and small boats. This system's potential range and deep magazine makes it ideal as point defense against incoming missiles. Its inexpensive cost of only a few dollars per engagement and multi-mission capability makes this future weapon system superior to the short-range missile-defense systems employed today. The most powerful FEL is currently located in Jefferson Lab, operating at 10 kW, two orders of magnitude short of the 1 MW power level required for weapons application. This thesis will describe the components and theory of operation of the FEL, as well as analyze two competing designs for the next step in the evolution of the future weapon system, the 100 kW FEL, proposed by Brookhaven and Los Alamos National Labs. Due to advances in NPS simulation techniques for the amplifier configuration, a more in depth analysis including the effects of electron beam tilt and shift is performed for the first time on these proposed designs.

A nanoparticle (NP) doping technique was used for making erbium-doped fibers (EDFs) for high energy lasers. The nanoparticles were doped into the silica soot of preforms, which were drawn into fibers. The Er luminescence lifetimes of the NP-doped cores are longer than those of corresponding solution-doped silica, and substantially less Al is incorporated into the NP-doped cores. Optical-to-optical slope efficiencies of greater than 71% have been measured. Initial investigations of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) have indicated that SBS suppression is achieved by NP doping, where we observed a low intrinsic Brillouin gain coefficient, of similar to 1x 10(-11) m/W and the Brillouin bandwidth was increased by 2.5x compared to fused silica.

No intuito de preservar a estrutura dentária, remanescentes de dentina afetada por cárie podem ser deixados após remoção do tecido cariado. O uso de soluções antimicrobianas é uma alternativa para reduzir ou eliminar bactérias após o preparo cavitário. Além disso, métodos de remoção de cárie, menos invasivos que o tradicional uso de brocas, vêm sendo desenvolvidos, tais como os com lasers de alta potência. No contexto de redução microbiana, tanto os lasers de alta potência (efeito fototérmico), quanto os lasers de baixa potência associados a fotossensibilizadores (terapia fotodinâmica antimicrobiana) podem ser utilizados. O objetivo deste estudo in vitro foi avaliar o uso dos lasers ou clorexidina na redução microbiana em lesões de cárie artificialmente desenvolvidas. Sessenta discos de dentina humana foram analisados de acordo com o tratamento da superfície (n=10): G1 - sem tratamento; G2 - digluconato de clorexidina a 2%; G3 - laser de alta potência Er:YAG (2,94 ?m) ; G4 - laser de alta potência Er,Cr:YSGG (2,78 ?m); G5 - aPDT 1 (laser de baixa potência 660 nm + azul de metileno a 0,01%); G6 - aPDT 2 (laser de baixa potência 660 nm + azul de metileno a 0,005%). A dentina afetada por cárie foi induzida por um modelo artificial desenvolvido com S. Mutans, com profundidade de lesão de aproximadamente 260 ?m. A dentina cariada foi coletada com auxílio de uma broca esférica Carbide estéril, antes e após os tratamentos propostos. Para padronização da coleta, foi feita a inserção de todo o diâmetro da ponta ativa broca (0,5 mm) no tecido dentinário. O desfecho primário foi a redução de bactérias, realizada pela contagem de unidades formadoras de colônia (UFC). Para comparar o desempenho dos tratamentos foi aplicado o teste de Kruskal Wallis, complementado pelo teste dms, para identificação das diferenças significativas, considerando nível de significância de 5%. De acordo com os resultados, houve redução microbiana para todos os grupos experimentais avaliados, porém, sem diferença estatística significativa entre eles (p=0,1133). Dessa forma, todos os tratamentos propostos foram eficazes na redução microbiana. / In order to preserve the dental structure, dentin remnants affected by caries may be left after removal of carious tissue. The use of disinfectant solutions is an alternative to reduce or eliminate bacteria after cavity preparation. In addition, caries removal methods, less invasive than the traditional use of drills, have been developed, such as high-power lasers. In the context of microbial reduction, both high (photothermal effect) and low power lasers combined with photosensitizers (antimicrobial photodynamic therapy) can be used. The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the use of lasers or chlorhexidine in microbial reduction in artificially developed caries lesions. Sixty human dentin discs were analyzed according to surface treatment (n = 10): G1 - no treatment; G2 - 2% chlorhexidine digluconate; G3 - high power Er:YAG Laser (2.94 ?m); G4 - high power Er,Cr:YSGG Laser (2.78 ?m); G5 - aPDT 1 (low power laser 660 nm + 0.01% methylene blue); G6 - aPDT 2 (low power laser 660 nm + 0.005% methylene blue). Caries affected dentin was induced by an artificial model developed with S. mutans, with lesion depth of approximately 260 ?m. The carious dentin was collected using a sterile Carbide spherical drill before and after the proposed treatments. For standardization of the collection, the insertion of the entire diameter of the active tip into the dentin tissue was performed (0.5 mm). The primary outcome was the bacterial reduction, considering the colony forming units (CFU). To compare the performance of the treatments, the Kruskal Wallis test, complemented by the dms test, was used to identify the significant differences, considering a significance level of 5%. According to the results, there was a microbial reduction for all the experimental groups evaluated, but with no significant statistical difference among them (p = 0.1133). Thus, all proposed treatments were effective for microbial reduction.

O uso do laser previamente à polimerização de sistemas adesivos aplicados sobre a dentina tem sido proposto para melhorar a resistência de união à dentina. O objetivo foi avaliar o efeito da variação da potência (P) e da energia por pulso (Ep) na resistência de união à dentina de um sistema adesivo convencional irradiado com laser previamente à fotoativação. Duzentos terceiros molares foram distribuídos aleatoriamente em 10 grupos (n=20) sendo um grupo sem irradiação (Controle) e nove grupos irradiados com laser de Diodo (970 nm) (SiroLaser - Sirona Dental Systems - Benshein, Alemanha), de acordo com a potência (P) e energia por pulso (Ep) utilizados: 1 - 0,5W/0,05J; 2 - 0,5W/0,08J; 3 - 0,5W/0,1J; 4 - 0,8W/0,05J; 5 - 0,8W/0,08J; 6 - 0,8W/0,1J; 7 - 1W/0,05J; 8 - 1W/0,08J; 9 - 1W/0,1J. Em todos os grupos fez-se o condicionamento com ácido fosfórico, aplicação do sistema adesivo convencional de dois passos AdperTM Single Bond 2 (3M ESPE, St Paul, MN, EUA) e restauração com resina composta Z250 (3M). Para avaliar a resistência de união foi realizado teste de microtração obtendo-se os valores em MPa. Os resultados foram analisados pelo ANOVA a dois critérios, seguido de Dunnett t (p < 0,001) para comparação entre os grupos. Os grupos irradiados foram avaliados pelo ANOVA a um critério, seguido dos testes de comparações múltiplas Bonferroni e Tamhane. Os valores de resistência de união ± desvio padrão de todos os grupos foram, respectivamente: 0 - Controle (34,60±10,76); 1 - (19,62±8,65); 2 - (27,56±9,20); 3 - (30,34±7,92); 4 - (23,31±5,96); 5 - (20,93±7,46); 6 - (24,67±8,59); 7 - (23,61±7,04); 8 - (25,94±6,82) e 9 - (21,48±3,59). O laser de Diodo influencia na resistência de união entre os grupos irradiados e não irradiado. A potência de 0,5W e energia por pulso de 0,1J influenciam positivamente nos valores de resistência de união quando o sistema adesivo é irradiado previamente a sua fotoativação. / The use of the laser prior to polymerisation of adhesive systems applied to the dentin has been proposed to improve the bond strength of dentin. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the variation of the output power (P) and pulse energy (Ep) on bond strength to dentin irradiated of conventional adhesive system with laser. Two hundred third molars were randomly distributed in 10 groups (n = 20): a group without laser irradiation (group control) and nine groups irradiated with diode laser (970 nm) (SiroLaser Sirona Dental Systems-Benshein, Germany), according to the output power (P) and pulse energy (Ep): 1 - 0,5W/0,05J; 2 - 0,5W/0,08J; 3 - 0,5W/0,1J; 4 - 0,8W/0,05J; 5 - 0,8W/0,08J; 6 - 0,8W/0,1J; 7 - 1W/0,05J; 8 - 1W/0,08J; 9 - 1W/0,1J. It was used in all groups etching with phosphoric acid, application of conventional adhesive system AdperTM Single Bond 2 (3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA) and restoration with composite resin Z250 (3M). Microtensile test was performed obtaining bond strength values in MPa. Results were analyzed by two-ways ANOVA test, followed by Dunnett t (p < 0.001) for comparison between groups. The groups laser irradiated were assessed by one-way ANOVA test and subsequent t test with Bonferroni and Tamhane corrections. Bond strength values ± standard deviation for the groups were, respectively: 0 group control (34.60 ± 10.76); 1 - (19.62 ± 8.65); 2 - (27.56 ± 9.20); 3 - (30.34 ± 7.92); 4 - (23.31 ± 5.96); 5 - (20.93 ± 7.46); 6 - (24.67 ± 8.59); 7 - (7.04 ± 23.61); 8 - (25.94 ± 6.82) and 9 - (3.59 ± 21.48). The Diode laser influences on bond strength between irradiated and without irradiated groups. The output power 0.5W and energy per pulse 0.1J influence positively in the bond strength values when the adhesive system is irradiated prior to their light curing.

O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar o efeito antimicrobiano da irrigação e da medicação endodôntica em dentina infectada por biofilmes orais. Na primeira parte do estudo, avaliaram-se as seguintes soluções irrigadoras: hipoclorito de sódio a 1%, clorexidina a 2%, ácido cítrico a 10% e EDTA a 17%. Na segunda parte, avaliaram-se soluções irrigadoras contendo associações (MTAD, Smear Clear, Qmix, ácido maleico a 7%, iodo-iodeto de potássio a 2% e ácido peracético a 4%), sendo essas soluções comparadas a 2 concentrações de hipoclorito de sódio. Na terceira parte, avaliou-se o efeito de dispositivos sônicos, ultrassônicos e de laser na capacidade de limpeza do hipoclorito de sódio a 6%, com uso de microscópio eletrônico de varredura. Na quarta parte, avaliaram-se os efeitos antimicrobianos de 3 pastas de hidróxido de cálcio contendo 3 radiopacificadores diferentes (óxido de zinco, sulfato de bário e iodofórmio). No último experimento, foram avaliadas as propriedades antimicrobianas da pasta triantibiótica, da clorexidina em gel e da pasta aquosa de hidróxido de cálcio. Os resultados mostraram que todas as soluções de hipoclorito de sódio testadas e o ácido peracético a 4% foram mais efetivas sobre o biofilme em comparação a todos os irrigantes testados. As soluções de hipoclorito de sódio propiciaram significativamente uma melhor limpeza da dentina. O ácido peracético foi também efetivo para dissolver células do biofilme. A ativação do hipoclorito de sódio com o ultrassom e com laser interferiu favoravelmente na limpeza da dentina infectada. A pasta triantibiótica e o hidróxido de cálcio associado ao iodofórmio foram os medicamentos mais efetivos na descontaminação da dentina infectada. Portanto, o protocolo ideal que deve ser adotado para garantir uma descontaminação efetiva da dentina contaminada por biofilmes orais inclui o uso de hipoclorito de sódio ativado por ultrassom ou laser e medicação intracanal de hidróxido de cálcio com iodofórmio. O ácido peracético e a pasta triantibiótica apresentaram resultados promissores. / The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of endodontic irrigation and medication on biofilm infected dentin. In the first part, we evaluated the following irrigant solutions: 1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% chlorhexidine, 10% citric acid and 17% EDTA. In the second part, irrigant solutions containing combinations of antimicrobials such as \"MTAD,\" \"Smear Clear\", \"Qmix\", 7% maleic acid and 2% iodine-potassium iodide and 4% peracetic acid were evaluated. These solutions were compared to 2 concentrations of sodium hypochlorite. In the third part, we evaluated the effect of sonic, ultrasonic and laser irrigation on the cleaning ability of biofilm infected dentin using 6% sodium hypochlorite under scanning electron microscope. In the fourth part, we evaluated the antimicrobial effects of 3 calcium hydroxide pastes containing 3 different radiopacifiers (zinc oxide, barium sulfate and iodoform). In the last experiment, we evaluated the antimicrobial properties of the triantibiotic paste, 2% chlorhexidine gel and calcium hydroxide paste. The results showed that the sodium hypochlorite and the peracetic acid solutions were more effective to decontaminate the biofilm infected dentin in comparison to all of the tested irrigants. The sodium hypochlorite solutions allowed significantly better cleaning of the dentine. The peracetic acid was also effective to dissolve the biofilm cells. Activation of 6% sodium hypochlorite with ultrasonic and laser increased the cleaning of biofilm infected dentin. The triantibiotic paste and calcium hydroxide associated to iodoform were the most effective intracanal dressings available for the decontamination of the infected dentin. Therefore, the ideal protocol to be adopted in order to ensure an effective decontamination of biofilm infected dentin includes the use of sodium hypochlorite, specially activated by ultrasound or laser; and the use of calcium hydroxide with iodoform intracanal dressing. The peracetic acid and the triantibiotic paste also showed promising results.