====== Photodarkening ====== >Photodarkening is the effect that the optical losses in a medium can grow when the medium is irradiated with light at certain wavelengths. >[source : link below] It's of particular significance in systems which use lasers to transmit information along optical fibres. The super-transparent fibres can gradually darken when exposed to light - particularly at short wavelengths. This can (eventually) compromise the efficiency of fibre-optic systems (and also high-powered laser welding equipment). The phenomenon has not yet been explained. Further details [[https://spie.org/news/4387-photodarkening-measure-characterization-and-figure-of-merit|International Society for Optics and Photonics]]