Fiber Combiner Capillary Slope Profiles for Brightness

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fiber combiners with unetched capillaries suffer from light leakage and brightness degradation due to thicker capillary sizes, limiting the taper length and resulting brightness of the combined light beam in high-power fiber lasers.

Innovation Solution

A fiber combiner design featuring a capillary with specific non-zero slope profiles and portions without capillary presence at the output end, minimizing light leakage and maximizing taper length, arranged in a straight configuration to enhance the brightness of the combined light beam.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If unetched capillaries with thicker sizes are used, then structural strength and containment are improved, but light leakage and brightness degradation occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecapillary structural strengthVSAvoidlight leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the capillary structure from specific regions where light transmission is critical. By extracting the capillary in tapered sections, the design eliminates light leakage and brightness degradation while maintaining structural integrity in regions where the capillary is retained.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The capillary is divided into multiple segments along its length, with different regions having different presence or absence of capillary structure. This segmentation allows optimization of each region for its specific function: containment where needed and light transmission where critical.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If capillary presence is maintained throughout, then fiber alignment and containment are improved, but taper length is limited and brightness is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefiber alignment stabilityVSAvoidtaper length

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The capillary structure is segmented into regions of presence and absence, allowing the taper length to be extended in regions where the capillary is removed while maintaining fiber alignment stability in regions where the capillary is present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If conventional unetched capillary designs are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but brightness degradation occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecombiner formation simplicityVSAvoidlight beam brightness

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of capillary presence from a constant state to a variable state along the length of the capillary. This parameter change enables improved brightness through selective removal while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard fabrication processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20230358963A1Fiber combiner with a capillary

Publication Date: 2023.11.09 WELLS FARGO BANK NA

AI summary

A fiber combiner includes a capillary and a plurality of input fibers disposed within the capillary. A first portion of the capillary has a first non-zero slope profile along a first portion of an output end of the fiber combiner. A second portion of the capillary has a second non-zero slope profile along a second portion of the output end of the fiber combiner. The second non-zero slope profile is different than the first non-zero slope profile.