Thermal enhancement of UV photosensitivity in H2-loaded optical fibers

The UV photosensitivity of GeO2-doped fibers and waveguides can be increased by loading with H2 at high pressure,1,2 but to date, H2-loaded P2O5-doped glass has not shown photosensitivity at 248 nm.1,3 Heating a glass causes a shift of the UV edge to longer wavelengths,4 increasing the photon-glass interactions. In this work we show that heating (200-450°C) increases the UV photosensitivity of H2-loaded GeO2-doped fibers and brings on 248-nm photosensitivity in H2-loaded P2O5-doped fibers.