System for evaluating welding quality of thulium-doped optical fiber with base
By designing an evaluation system to detect the relationship between output laser power and return light power, the problem of inaccurate fiber optic splice quality evaluation in existing technologies has been solved, enabling rapid and accurate evaluation of fiber optic splice quality and improving the stability and economy of fiber lasers.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-03-21
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-20
AI Technical Summary
Existing fiber optic fusion splicing technology cannot achieve non-destructive splicing, resulting in poor splicing quality, which affects the stability and performance of fiber lasers. Furthermore, existing testing methods have subjective biases and inaccuracies, making it impossible to accurately evaluate the laser under normal operating conditions.
Design an evaluation system to assess the fusion quality of the fusion point in real time by detecting the relationship between the output laser power and the return optical power. The system includes a thulium-doped fiber oscillator module and a return optical power monitoring module. The detection system consists of a pump light source, a beam combiner, a high-reflection grating, a low-reflection grating, a cladding stripper, an optical output port, and an optical power meter. Combined with a water-cooled heat sink plate and a beveled cut design, it enables rapid and intuitive evaluation of fusion quality.
It enables accurate and rapid evaluation of fiber optic fusion splice quality, improves the reliability and stability of fusion splices, reduces equipment costs, is applicable to improvements in fiber optic fusion splice and oscillator structures, and improves the quality of fusion splices at the fusion point.
Smart Images
Figure CN224019278U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of optical fiber testing technology, and in particular relates to an evaluation system for the splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fibers with a base. Background Technology
[0002] The melting temperature of the thulium-doped fiber with a slab is lower than that of the core and cladding. If the splicing parameters are not good during fiber end-face splicing, the deformation of the slab and core / cladding at the active fiber end face will be inconsistent, resulting in significant changes in stress distribution and refractive index distribution at the splice point. This will greatly affect the coupling of fiber core light at the splice point, leading to output power fluctuations and affecting laser performance.
[0003] Therefore, thulium-doped fiber lasers have extremely high requirements for the quality of the fusion splice at the melting point. Currently available fiber fusion splicing technology cannot achieve lossless splicing. Whether it is active or passive fiber, the coating layer needs to be stripped before splicing. Poor splicing quality leads to increased loss and light leakage at the splice point. The temperature at and around the splice point is significantly higher, which further promotes changes in stress and refractive index distribution at the splice point. Local high temperature, uneven stress and refractive index distribution are not conducive to the stable operation of fiber lasers and may even cause the internal fiber to burn out.
[0004] Therefore, developing an accurate and intuitive testing system and method for evaluating the fusion splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fibers is of great significance for improving the performance and stability of fiber lasers.
[0005] Traditional testing methods primarily rely on visual observation of fiber optic fusion splice images for judgment. This method is subject to subjective bias. Furthermore, due to the presence of the base layer, fusion splicers are prone to erroneous alarms such as thermal spots and bubbles when splicing thulium-doped fiber with passive fiber. The data displayed by the fusion splicer, such as splice loss and angle deviation, are also inaccurate, making it impossible to accurately assess the fusion splice quality. In addition, existing fiber optic fusion splice quality testing devices are all independent testing systems, which cannot accurately assess the fusion splice quality under normal laser operating conditions. Summary of the Invention
[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide an evaluation system for the splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fibers with a base. By designing a system that can simultaneously detect the output laser power and the returned optical power, and analyze the relationship and fluctuation of the two, the splicing quality of the fusion point can be evaluated online in real time. This provides a method for quickly and intuitively judging the splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fibers with a base.
[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:
[0008] This utility model is an evaluation system for the splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fiber with a base, including a thulium-doped optical fiber oscillator module and a return optical power monitoring module.
[0009] The thulium-doped fiber oscillator module is composed of a pump light source, a beam combiner, a high-reflection grating, a thulium-doped fiber with a pedestal, a low-reflection grating, a cladding light stripper, an optical output port and a second optical power meter connected in sequence.
[0010] The output fiber of the high-reflection grating is connected to the input fiber of the low-reflection grating through the thulium-doped fiber with a pedestal, and the thulium-doped fiber with a pedestal forms a first fusion point and a second fusion point with the output fiber of the high-reflection grating and the input fiber of the low-reflection grating, respectively.
[0011] The return light power monitoring module is composed of a dichroic mirror and a first optical power meter connected in sequence, and the dichroic mirror is connected to the input fiber of the beam combiner.
[0012] Further, the input end of the beam combiner outputs return light through a signal fiber, and the end of the signal fiber is provided with an 8° bevel.
[0013] Further, a water-cooled heat sink plate is further included, and the thulium-doped fiber with a pedestal is arranged on the water-cooled heat sink plate.
[0014] Further, the number of the pump light sources is set to be several, the several pump light sources are arranged side by side, and the several pump light sources are all connected to the beam combiner.
[0015] Further, the first optical power meter and the second optical power meter respectively output return light power data and laser power data, and the return light power data and the laser power data are used as the ordinate and the abscissa to make an optical fiber curve.
[0016] The utility model has the following beneficial effects:
[0017] 1. The utility model discloses a method for evaluating the fusion point of the thulium-doped fiber with a pedestal, which can simultaneously detect the output laser power and the return light power, analyze the relationship and fluctuation of the two, and evaluate the fusion quality of the fusion point in real time.
[0018] 2. The evaluation system of the utility model has a wide range of applications, and is suitable for evaluating the fusion quality of the optical fiber and the quality of the existing fusion point on the oscillator structure laser.
[0019] 3. The utility model can ensure the accurate and rapid evaluation of the fusion quality of the fusion point through real-time monitoring and data analysis, and the evaluation result can be used to improve the fusion program and the fusion quality of the fusion point, thereby improving the reliability and stability of the optical fiber fusion.
[0020] 4. The equipment used by the device of the utility model has simple structure, does not need additional professional equipment, thereby reduces the overall investment cost, and improves the economy and practicality of the optical fiber fusion.
[0021] Of course, implementing any product of the utility model does not necessarily need to achieve all the advantages mentioned above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme of the embodiment of the utility model, the following will briefly introduce the drawing needed to be used in the embodiment description, obviously, the drawing in the following description is only some embodiments of the utility model, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained according to these drawings without creating labor.
[0023] Figure 1 It is a structure diagram of the evaluation system of the thulium-doped fiber fusion quality with base for the utility model;
[0024] Figure 2 It is a coordinate graph of return light power and laser power data;
[0025] In the drawings, the component list represented by each sign is as follows:
[0026] 1-pump light source, 2-beam combiner, 3-high reflection grating, 4-thulium-doped fiber with base, 5-low reflection grating, 6-cladding light stripper, 7-optical output port, 8-second optical power meter, 9-first fusion point, 10-second fusion point, 11-dichroic mirror, 12-first optical power meter, 13-water-cooled heat sink plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] The technical scheme in the embodiment of the utility model will be described clearly and completely in the following by combining the drawings in the embodiment of the utility model, obviously, the described embodiment is only a part of the embodiment of the utility model, not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiment in the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creating labor belong to the scope of protection of the utility model.
[0028] Please refer to Figure 1 The utility model is an evaluation system of thulium-doped fiber fusion quality with base, which comprises a thulium-doped fiber oscillator module and a return light power monitoring module;
[0029] The thulium-doped fiber oscillator module is composed of a pump light source 1, a beam combiner 2, a high reflection grating 3, a thulium-doped fiber with base 4, a low reflection grating 5, a cladding light stripper 6, an optical output port 7 and a second optical power meter 8 connected in sequence;
[0030] The output fiber of the high reflection grating 3 is connected with the input fiber of the low reflection grating 5 through the thulium-doped fiber with base 4, and the input fiber of the low reflection grating 5 and the output fiber of the high reflection grating 3 form a first fusion point 9 and a second fusion point 10 respectively;
[0031] The return light power monitoring module is composed of a dichroic mirror 11 and a first optical power meter 12 connected in sequence, and the dichroic mirror 11 is connected with the input fiber of the beam combiner 2.
[0032] As shown in the figure, Figure 1 The end of the signal fiber is provided with an 8° bevel.
[0033] As shown in the figure, Figure 1 The thulium-doped fiber with base 4 is arranged on the water-cooled heat sink plate 13.
[0034] As shown in the figure, Figure 1 The number of the pump light sources 1 is set to be several, the several pump light sources 1 are arranged side by side, and the several pump light sources 1 are all connected with the beam combiner 2.
[0035] As shown in the figure, Figure 2 The return light power data and the laser power data are output on the first optical power meter 12 and the second optical power meter 8 respectively, and the return light power data and the laser power data are used as the vertical coordinate and the horizontal coordinate respectively to make a fiber curve.
[0036] The working principle of the utility model is:
[0037] Step one: special discharge correction is carried out on the thulium-doped fiber with base 4 and the passive optical fiber which need to be fused, and the initial fusion power is determined.
[0038] Step two: a section of the thulium-doped fiber with base 4 is cut off and is coiled on the water-cooled heat sink plate 13, and the operations of stripping the coating layer, cutting the end face and cleaning the fusion section are sequentially carried out on the two ends of the thulium-doped fiber with base 4, the output end of the high reflection grating 3 and the input end of the low reflection grating 5.
[0039] Step three: the inner end of the thulium-doped fiber with base 4 and the output end of the high reflection grating 3, and the outer end of the thulium-doped fiber with base 4 and the input end of the low reflection grating 5 are fused and coated and solidified respectively, the first fusion point 9 and the second fusion point 10 are completed, and the fusion quality of the two fusion points is pre-evaluated according to the cutting angle, the fiber angle, the fusion loss, the thermal image curve and the angle deviation and other parameters displayed by the fusion machine.
[0040] Step 4: Check all components and optical paths on the laser platform. After confirming that everything is correct, turn on the laser and gradually increase the power output of pump source 1 from 0 until pump source 1 is at full power output. Use the second optical power meter 8 and the first optical power meter 12 to record the laser power of the thulium-doped fiber oscillator module and the return optical power of the return optical power monitoring module, respectively.
[0041] Step 5: As Figure 2 As shown, a curve showing the relationship between laser power and returned light power is plotted with laser power as the abscissa and returned light power as the ordinate. When the laser power and returned light power are linear, the data test is normal. The curve is linearly fitted, and the welding quality of the melting point is evaluated by comparing the slope of the fitted curve. When the curve slope < 0.015, the welding quality of the melting point is considered excellent; when 0.015 ≤ curve slope < 0.03, the welding quality of the melting point is considered acceptable; when the curve slope ≥ 0.03, the welding quality of the melting point is considered unacceptable. If the welding quality is acceptable, the laser platform can proceed with encapsulation or other operations.
[0042] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.
[0043] The preferred embodiments of this utility model disclosed above are merely illustrative of the present utility model. These preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the utility model to the specific implementations described. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of this utility model, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize it. This utility model is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.
Claims
1. A system for evaluating the splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fibers with a base, characterized in that: Includes a thulium-doped fiber oscillator module and a return optical power monitoring module; The thulium-doped fiber oscillator module consists of a pump light source (1), a bundler (2), a high-reflectivity grating (3), a thulium-doped fiber with a base (4), a low-reflectivity grating (5), a cladding stripper (6), an optical output port (7), and a second optical power meter (8) connected in sequence. The output fiber of the high-reflection grating (3) is connected to the input fiber of the low-reflection grating (5) through a thulium-doped fiber (4) with a base. The thulium-doped fiber (4) with the base forms a first melting point (9) and a second melting point (10) with the output fiber of the high-reflection grating (3) and the input fiber of the low-reflection grating (5), respectively. The return optical power monitoring module consists of a dichroic mirror (11) and a first optical power meter (12) connected in sequence. The dichroic mirror (11) is connected to the optical fiber at the input end of the beam combiner (2).
2. The evaluation system for the splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fibers with a base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The input end of the combiner (2) outputs back-return light through a signal fiber, and the end of the signal fiber is provided with an 8° oblique cut.
3. The evaluation system for the splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fibers with a base according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a water-cooled heat sink plate (13), on which the thulium-doped optical fiber (4) with base is coiled.
4. The evaluation system for the splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fibers with a base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of pump light sources (1) is set to several, and the several pump light sources (1) are arranged side by side, and the several pump light sources (1) are all connected to the beam combiner (2).
5. The evaluation system for the splicing quality of thulium-doped optical fibers with a base according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first optical power meter (12) and the second optical power meter (8) output return optical power data and laser power data respectively. The return optical power data and laser power data are used as the vertical axis and the horizontal axis to form an optical fiber curve.