Connecting device based on hollow-core energy transmission optical fiber

Abstract

The invention discloses a connecting device based on a hollow-core energy transmission optical fiber. The connecting device comprises the hollow-core energy transmission optical fiber, a sleeve, a quartz end cap and a QBH connector shell. The sleeve is sleeved and fixed outside the hollow-core energy-transmitting optical fiber, after the end faces of the sleeve and the hollow-core energy-transmitting optical fiber are ground and polished to be flush, the outer wall of the sleeve is welded with the quartz end cap, and a formed assembly is installed in the QBH connector shell with the water-cooling circulation structure. According to the device, the welding process is isolated through the sleeve, pore collapse of the hollow-core optical fiber microstructure is avoided, the advantages of low loss and low nonlinear effect of the hollow-core optical fiber and efficient heat dissipation of the QBH connector are combined, Fresnel reflection is reduced in cooperation with the anti-reflection film, safe and stable transmission of high-power laser is achieved, the device meets the requirements of multiple fields such as industrial processing, and the application prospect is wide.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of fiber laser technology, and specifically to a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission fiber. Background Technology

[0002] High-power lasers are widely used in industrial processing, biomedicine, and defense. However, traditional solid-core quartz optical fibers are limited by nonlinear effects and material damage, making it difficult to meet the demands of high-power transmission. Hollow-core optical fibers, through microstructure design, confine light to an air core, offering advantages such as a high damage threshold and low nonlinear effects, thus providing a new direction for solving this problem.

[0003] QBH fiber optic connectors are commonly used in the field of high-power lasers. They feature high power handling capacity, efficient heat dissipation, and precise positioning, making them a reliable optical connection solution.

[0004] However, when combining hollow fiber with QBH connectors, it needs to be fused with a quartz end cap. Existing technologies have obvious drawbacks: direct fusion splicing can easily cause the microstructure pores of the hollow fiber to collapse due to heat, resulting in fusion loss; Fresnel reflection from the quartz and air end faces not only reduces coupling efficiency but also poses a safety hazard to the laser; using a spatial lens to couple to a solid end cap can easily cause focus shift due to thermal effects, and the end face of the hollow fiber is easily contaminated, resulting in insufficient reliability.

[0005] Therefore, a new connection device is urgently needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission fiber, comprising a hollow-core power transmission fiber, a sleeve, a quartz end cap, and a QBH connector housing; wherein: the sleeve is fitted over the hollow-core power transmission fiber and fixedly connected to it; one end of the sleeve away from the hollow-core power transmission fiber is fused and fixed to the quartz end cap; the assembly consisting of the hollow-core power transmission fiber, the sleeve, and the quartz end cap is installed inside the QBH connector housing, and the QBH connector housing is provided with a water-cooling circulation structure for heat dissipation.

[0007] Furthermore, the sleeve is a hollow quartz sleeve, and the material of the hollow quartz sleeve is ultraviolet fused quartz.

[0008] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the sleeve is 2 μm larger than the outer diameter of the cladding of the hollow power transmission fiber.

[0009] Furthermore, the sleeve and the hollow power transmission optical fiber are fixed together by adhesive bonding.

[0010] Furthermore, the sleeve and the hollow power transmission optical fiber are tightly fixed together by heating the inner wall of the sleeve with a fusion splicer.

[0011] Furthermore, the sleeve and the hollow power transmission optical fiber are tightly bound together after the inner wall of the sleeve is contracted by carbon dioxide laser heating.

[0012] Furthermore, after the sleeve and the hollow power transmission optical fiber are fixed, the end faces of both away from the quartz end cap are ground and polished to form the same flat plane.

[0013] Furthermore, the quartz end cap is made of ultraviolet-fused quartz, and the surface of the quartz end cap away from the sleeve is coated with an anti-reflection film.

[0014] Furthermore, the fusion joint between the sleeve and the quartz end cap is the outer wall of the sleeve and the end face of the quartz end cap.

[0015] Furthermore, the QBH connector housing is a mechanically locking housing, and the water-cooling circulation structure includes an inlet and an outlet, which are respectively connected to the water passage inside the housing.

[0016] This invention provides a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber, which has the following advantages: By combining hollow fiber with QBH connector, the characteristics of low transmission loss, low nonlinear effect and high damage threshold of hollow fiber are brought into play, while the advantages of industrial standard of efficient heat dissipation and interlock protection of QBH connector are utilized to adapt to the transmission requirements of high power ultrafast laser and high brightness laser. The design of splicing hollow optical fibers with quartz end caps after sleeve splicing avoids touching the microstructure area of ​​hollow optical fibers during the splicing process, completely solving the problem of air hole collapse caused by direct splicing and ensuring the transmission performance of optical fibers. The quartz end caps are coated with an anti-reflection film, which effectively reduces Fresnel back reflection, improves laser coupling efficiency, and eliminates the safety hazards of high-power backlight to the laser. The water-cooled circulation structure of the QBH shell can dissipate the heat generated by scattered light at the coupling point in a timely manner, further ensuring the stable operation of the device. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0018] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the overall structure of a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber provided by the present invention. Figure 2 A side view of the overall structure of a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber provided by the present invention; Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a sleeve for a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber provided by the present invention; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the sleeve of a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber provided by the present invention from another angle; Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a quartz end cap for a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber provided by the present invention. Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the laser transmission path of a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber provided by the present invention. Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: 1—Hollow-core power transmission fiber; 2—Sheath; 3—Quartz end cap; 4—QBH connector housing. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0020] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms "comprising" or "including," and similar terms used in this disclosure, mean that an element or object preceding the term encompasses the elements or objects listed following the term and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may also include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used only to indicate relative positional relationships; these relative positional relationships may change accordingly when the absolute position of the described objects changes.

[0021] This embodiment provides a connection device based on hollow-core power transmission fiber, including hollow-core power transmission fiber 1, sleeve 2, quartz end cap 3, and QBH connector housing 4; wherein: the sleeve 2 is sleeved on the outside of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1 and fixedly connected to the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1; the end of the sleeve 2 away from the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1 is fused and fixed to the quartz end cap 3; the assembly consisting of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1, sleeve 2, and quartz end cap 3 is installed in the QBH connector housing 4, and the QBH connector housing 4 is provided with a water-cooling circulation structure for heat dissipation.

[0022] The sleeve 2 is a hollow quartz sleeve, and the material of the hollow quartz sleeve is ultraviolet fused silica. The inner diameter of the sleeve 2 is 2 μm larger than the outer diameter of the cladding of the hollow power transmission fiber 1. The quartz end cap 3 is made of ultraviolet fused silica, and the surface of the end of the quartz end cap 3 away from the sleeve 2 is coated with an antireflection film.

[0023] See Figure 3 and Figure 4 The component preparation work is as follows: A hollow-core power transmission fiber 1 with microstructured pores is selected, its interior consisting of extremely thin glass walls with a thickness of several hundred nanometers to several hundred micrometers; a hollow quartz sleeve 2 made of ultraviolet fused silica is prepared, the inner diameter of which is 2μm larger than the outer diameter of the cladding of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1, ensuring that the sleeve 2 can be smoothly fitted onto the outside of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1 with a fitting gap; the quartz end cap 3 is also made of ultraviolet fused silica, and an anti-reflection coating is pre-coated on its output end (i.e., the larger end) away from the fusion splice end to reduce Fresnel back reflection; the QBH connector housing 4 is a mechanically locked metal housing, with a pre-set fixing structure for the installation of the adapter component and a complete water-cooling circulation structure. This water-cooling circulation structure includes an inlet, an outlet, and an internal water channel connecting the two for subsequent heat dissipation. Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the installation of the optical fiber and end cap in a traditional QBH connector, which helps to understand the relative installation positions of the components in this embodiment.

[0024] Specifically, the sleeve 2 and the hollow power transmission optical fiber 1 are fixed by adhesive bonding; or by heating the inner wall of the sleeve 2 with a fusion splicer to shrink and then clamp it tightly; or by heating the inner wall of the sleeve 2 with a carbon dioxide laser to shrink and then clamp it tightly.

[0025] Therefore, the fixation of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1 and the sleeve 2 can be achieved by one of the following three methods: The first method is adhesive bonding, where a suitable optical adhesive is evenly applied between the inner wall of the sleeve 2 and the outer wall of the cladding of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1, and the fixation is completed after the adhesive cures; the second method is fusion splicing, where the sleeve 2 and the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1 are placed in a fusion splicer, and precise heating causes the inner wall of the quartz sleeve 2 to slightly shrink, thereby "hugging" the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1 to achieve fixation; the third method is carbon dioxide laser heating, where a carbon dioxide laser is used to locally and precisely heat the outer wall of the sleeve 2, causing the inner wall of the sleeve 2 to shrink and tightly adhere to the outer wall of the cladding of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1, achieving a stable connection.

[0026] After fixing, refer to Figure 5The combination and grinding diagram shown indicate that the end faces of both fibers away from the subsequent fusion splice are ground and polished. Before grinding, the microstructure pores of the hollow power transmission fiber 1 need to be sealed and protected to prevent dirt generated during the grinding process from entering the pores and causing the fiber to be scrapped. Finally, the end faces of the sleeve 2 and the hollow power transmission fiber 1 are made to form the same flat plane to ensure the efficiency of subsequent optical transmission.

[0027] Specifically, the fusion joint between the sleeve 2 and the quartz end cap 3 is the outer wall of the sleeve 2 and the end face of the quartz end cap 3.

[0028] Therefore, the welding operation is as follows: (Refer to...) Figure 6 The fusion splicing diagram shows that the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1-sleeve 2 assembly, which has undergone polishing treatment, is aligned with the quartz end cap 3. The outer wall of the sleeve 2 is fused and fixed to the corresponding end face of the quartz end cap 3 using a thermal fusion splicing method. During the fusion splicing process, the heating range and temperature are strictly controlled to ensure that the heating only acts on the contact area between the outer wall of the sleeve 2 and the quartz end cap 3, without touching the microstructure pore area of ​​the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1, so as to avoid the pores softening and collapsing due to heat.

[0029] Specifically, the QBH connector housing 4 is a mechanically plugged locking housing, and the water-cooling circulation structure includes a water inlet and a water outlet, which are respectively connected to the water passage inside the housing 4.

[0030] See Figure 1 and 2 As can be seen, the overall assembly involves precisely installing the fused hollow-core power transmission fiber 1-sleeve 2-quartz end cap 3 assembly into a preset fixed position within the QBH connector housing 4, ensuring a stable connection between the assembly and the QBH connector housing 4 and a precise laser transmission path. After assembly, the water-cooling circulation structure of the QBH connector housing 4 can operate normally. The external cooling medium enters the internal water channel through the inlet, flows through the coupling area, and exits from the outlet, efficiently removing the heat generated by scattered light during laser transmission and preventing localized overheating from affecting device performance.

[0031] The transmission path of the laser is as follows Figure 6 As shown, the laser is incident from the input end of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1, transmitted through the air core of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1 to the quartz end cap 3, and after beam expansion in the quartz end cap 3, it is emitted from the output end coated with an antireflection film. This not only leverages the advantages of the hollow-core power transmission fiber 1, such as low transmission loss, low nonlinear effect, and high damage threshold, but also utilizes the efficient heat dissipation and reliable positioning performance of the QBH connector housing 4 to achieve safe and stable transmission of high-power laser, adapting to the application needs of multiple fields such as industrial processing and biomedicine.

[0032] The foregoing has only described certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention by way of illustration. Undoubtedly, those skilled in the art can modify the described embodiments in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the foregoing drawings and descriptions are illustrative in nature and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber, characterized in that, It includes a hollow-core power transmission fiber (1), a sleeve (2), a quartz end cap (3), and a QBH connector housing (4); wherein: The sleeve (2) is sleeved on the outside of the hollow energy transmission fiber (1) and fixedly connected to the hollow energy transmission fiber (1). The end of the sleeve (2) away from the hollow power transmission fiber (1) is fused and fixed to the quartz end cap (3); The assembly consisting of the hollow power transmission fiber (1), the sleeve (2) and the quartz end cap (3) is installed inside the QBH connector housing (4); The QBH connector housing (4) is provided with a water-cooling circulation structure for heat dissipation.

2. The connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sleeve (2) is a hollow quartz sleeve, and the material of the hollow quartz sleeve is ultraviolet fused quartz.

3. The connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the sleeve (2) is 2 μm larger than the outer diameter of the cladding of the hollow power transmission fiber (1).

4. The connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sleeve (2) and the hollow power transmission optical fiber (1) are fixed together by adhesive.

5. The connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sleeve (2) and the hollow power transmission optical fiber (1) are fixed together by heating the inner wall of the sleeve (2) with a fusion splicer.

6. The connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sleeve (2) and the hollow power transmission fiber (1) are tightly bound together by the inner wall of the sleeve (2) after being heated by carbon dioxide laser.

7. The connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that, After the sleeve (2) and the hollow power transmission fiber (1) are fixed, the end faces of the two that are away from the quartz end cap (3) are ground and polished to form the same flat plane.

8. The connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The quartz end cap (3) is made of ultraviolet fused silica, and the surface of the end of the quartz end cap (3) away from the sleeve (2) is coated with an anti-reflection film.

9. The connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The welded part between the sleeve (2) and the quartz end cap (3) is the outer wall of the sleeve (2) and the end face of the quartz end cap (3).

10. The connection device based on hollow-core power transmission optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that, The QBH connector housing (4) is a mechanically plugged locking housing. The water cooling circulation structure includes an inlet and an outlet, which are respectively connected to the water channel inside the QBH connector housing (4).

Images