Optical damage thresholds at 2.94 microm in fluoride glass fibers.

Optical damage thresholds at lambda = 2.94 microm have been investigated in one single-mode (11-microm core, 125-microm cladding) and five multimode fluoride glass fibers. (These five fibers consist of three conventional ones, 70-microm core, 140-microm cladding, 150-microm core, 200-microm cladding, and 200-microm core, 250-microm cladding, and two low-attenuation ones, 200-microm core, 250-microm cladding, and 350-microm core, 400-microm cladding.) The induced surface damage is discussed by means of electron microscopic analysis. Power limits for safe transmission are presented.