Fiber Optics Research Center at the General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FORC) carries out fundamental and applied research on a variety of problems of modern fiber optics. FORC is the principal research center in this field in Russia and is recognized as one of the world's leaders.

FORC was founded in 1993 on the basis of the Fiber Optics Department of the General Physics Institute. At present, FORC has a status of an independent research establishment of the Russian Academy of Sciences, retaining close scientific liaisons with the General Physics Institute. FORC is headed by Professor Evgueni M. Dianov, who is a Full Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

FORC has over 90 employees, about 50 of whom are scientists and engineers. 29 scientists are PhD's. Approximately 10-15 pre- and post-graduate students are also involved in the research. FORC occupies a five-floored building in Moscow with 5,880 square meters laboratory facility.

FORC possesses standard and unique equipment for fabrication, characterization, and investigation of optical fibers; in particular, MCVD, SPCVD, and POD installations for fabrication of optical fiber preforms, two fiber drawing towers, an extrusion set-up for fabrication of crystalline IR fibers, a set-up for growing nonlinear crystals, over two dozens of gas and solid-state lasers (HeNe, Ar, excimer, N2,Ti:Al2O3, Nd:YAG,HeCd and others), set-ups for inscription of in-fiber refractive index gratings, a Raman spectrograph, Fourier and multi-range UV/VIS/NIR spectrometers, high-performance spectrum analyzers and many other devices (see also 'Laboratories and Research Activities').

FORC has wide experience in cooperation with end-product companies and research establishments throughout the world. Geography of FORC's cooperation is steadily expanding.

During the last 25 years, since 1975, a number of pioneering works on optical fiber technology, nonlinear fiber optics, and fiber lasers and amplifiers have been performed at FORC. Among the major achievements are

• discovery of the stimulated Raman self-scattering effect in optical fibers,
• comprehensive study of soliton propagation and interaction in optical fibers,
• explanation of long-range interaction of pulses in optical fibers by the electrostriction-induced acoustic waves effect,
• development of various modifications of efficient Raman fiber amplifiers and lasers,
• experimental demonstration of efficient near-UV photosensitivity of germanosilicate fibers,
• development of ultrahigh-strength metal-coated fibers,
• development of nitrogen-doped silica fibers, low-loss chalcogenide and polycrystalline fibers for the IR region, and low-loss phosphorus-doped silica fibers for Raman lasers and amplifiers.

Current research activities at FORC include

• development of rare-earth-doped and Raman fiber lasers and amplifiers,
• theoretical and experimental study of the electrostriction effect in fiber-optic data links,
• investigation of the photorefractive effect in doped silica fibers and glasses,
• research into the loss mechanisms of heavily germanium and phosphorus doped silica fibers,
• theoretical and experimental investigation of the microstructure of silica glass and fibers, computer simulation and Raman spectroscopy of point defects in the silica network,
• development of optical fiber sensors of physical quantities (temperature, pressure, vibrations, etc.),
• development of radiation-resistant and radiation-sensitive optical fibers for applications in the nuclear industry,
• investigation of the physics and chemistry of plasmachemical vapor deposition of silica glass in the fiber preform technology,
• search for novel dopants and co-dopants to silica fibers and investigation of the properties of the resultant fibers,
• ultra-short pulse generation,
• research into the technology, properties, and applications of low-loss chalcogenide and polycrystalline fibers,
• investigation of the physics of long-term mechanical reliability of silica fibers,
• development and investigation of fibers with a non-conventional metal coating (copper, nickel, gold, silver, etc.) or a carbon coating,
• growth and investigation of nonlinear crystals.
• investigation and fabrication of high-purity Zinc Selenide (CVD-ZnSe)

Our current research activities and the most important results are outlined at 'Laboratories and Research Activities'. A recent SPIE Proceedings volume 4083 'Advances in Fiber Optics' edited by Prof. E.M.Dianov is wholly devoted to FORC's research carried out in 1998-1999.

Finally, it should be noted that FORC owes much of its achievements to long-term collaboration with the Institute of High-Purity Substances of the Russian Academy of Sciences.