title: Hydrogen loading and UV-irradiation induced etch rate changes in phosphorus-doped fibers.
abstract: We show strong changes in chemical etching of phosphorus-doped fiber cores due to hydrogen loading and subsequent UV-irradiation using an atomic force microscope. The etch rate of the fiber core in a low concentration hydrofluoric acid solution (HF) is decreasing after hydrogen loading by as much as 30%. In contrast, UV-irradiation of the hydrogenated fiber increases the core etch rate to values of 27% above the etch rate of the pristine fiber. The UV-induced change in etch rate does not depend on pulse fluence, but only on total dose. We attribute the changes in etch rate to a hydrogen- and radiation-induced modification of color center population.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dürr
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kulik
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Limberger
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salathé
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Semjonov
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dianov