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Laser-active optical fiber for a fiber laser or an optical fiber amplifier

a technology of laser-active optical fiber and fiber laser, which is applied in the direction of lasers, fiber transmission, transmission, etc., can solve the problems of optical fiber destruction, high laser power density, and beam quality degradation

Inactive Publication Date: 2006-10-19
CARL BAASEL LASERTECHN GMBH
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  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

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Benefits of technology

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a laser-active optical fiber for a fiber laser or an optical fiber amplifier which allows a high-power laser beam to be generated which has suitable high beam quality, in particular for machining a workpiece with high beam quality. A further object of the invention is to provide such an improved fiber laser.

Problems solved by technology

However, a disadvantage of the small diameter of the fiber core required herefor is that, at such a small diameter, high laser power is associated with correspondingly high power densities.
These power densities may result in undesired nonlinear effects, and may even lead to destruction of the optical fiber.
However, this is accompanied by a degradation of the beam quality.

Method used

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  • Laser-active optical fiber for a fiber laser or an optical fiber amplifier
  • Laser-active optical fiber for a fiber laser or an optical fiber amplifier

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Embodiment Construction

[0008] The invention will be described in greater detail in the disclosure which follows.

[0009] The referenced objects are achieved by the features of claims 1 and 3. Since the laser-active fiber core of the optical fiber has an undoped inner region which is surrounded by an outer region that is doped with a laser-active material, a laser beam is generated which has a stable mode structure in the form of a ring mode or a mixture of various ring modes. These stable ring modes are formed by the shape of the tubular laser-active region, since no amplification occurs in the undoped inner region. As a result of the larger volume which is then present in the annular- or tubular-shaped outer region, it is possible to increase the power of the fiber laser or of the optical fiber amplifier at the same power density. In particular, a stable ring mode TEM01* (donut mode) may be produced by suitable dimensioning of the inner and outer regions, even for a larger diameter of the fiber core.

[001...

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Abstract

A laser-active optical fiber for a fiber laser or an optical fiber amplifier contains a laser-active fiber core (2) comprising an undoped inner region (22) which is surrounded by an outer region (24) that is doped with a laser-active material. In this manner a high-power laser beam may be generated which has a mode structure, present in the form of a ring mode, which in particular is suitable for laser machining.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority from DE 10 2004 062 849.1 filed Dec. 27, 2004, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to a laser-active optical fiber for a fiber laser or an optical fiber amplifier. The invention further relates to a fiber laser having such a laser-active optical fiber. BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART [0003] Fiber lasers or fiber amplifiers contain an optical fiber as laser-active medium, the fiber core of which is doped with a laser-active material such as neodymium Nd, ytterbium Yb, or erbium Er. This doped fiber core is enclosed by so-called pump light cladding into which the pump light is injected. The advantages of such a fiber laser or fiber amplifier lie in its simple design, high excitation efficiency, efficient cooling due to its large surface area, and high beam quality which can be attained. [0004] High beam quality is attainable in particular when a monomodal or fund amental mode fiber is us...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G02B6/00
CPCH01S3/06708
Inventor LANGHANS, LUTZ
Owner CARL BAASEL LASERTECHN GMBH