In various embodiments, optical fibers have arrangements of core, annular core, and cladding regions enabling variation of beam shape and/or beam parameter product and may be utilized for the processing (e.g., welding, cutting, drilling, etc.) of various workpieces.

The disclosed embodiments generally relate to extruding multiple layers of micro- to nano-polymer layers in a tubular shape. In particular, the aspects of the disclosed embodiments are directed to a method for producing a Bragg reflector comprising co-extrusion of micro- to nano-polymer layers in a tubular shape.

A method for forming an article includes providing a material having a first material property; forming a melt pool by exposing the material to an optical beam having at least one beam characteristic, wherein the melt pool has at least one melt pool property determinative of a second material property of the material; and modifying the at least one beam characteristic in response to a change in the melt pool property.

An optical fiber includes: a core; a cladding layer that is lower in refractive index than the core; and a depressed layer that lies between the core and the cladding layer and that is lower in refractive index than the cladding layer, wherein: the optical fiber has an effective core area Aeff that is equal to or greater than 100 m.sup.2 and equal to or less than 129 m.sup.2, the core has a radius r1 that is equal to or greater than 5.2 m and equal to or less than 7.4 m, the core has a refractive index volume Vcore that is equal to or greater than 8.5% m.sup.2 and equal to or less than 16.5% m.sup.2, the depressed layer has a refractive index volume Vdep that is equal to or greater than 40% m.sup.2 and less than 0% m.sup.2.

A space-division multiplexed optical fiber includes a relatively high refractive index optical core region surrounded by alternating regions of relatively low and relative high refractive index material, forming concentric high index rings around the core. The optical core region supports propagation of light along at least a first radial mode associated with the optical core region and a high index ring region supports propagation of light along at least a second radial mode associated with the high index ring region. The second radial mode is different from the first radial mode.

The present disclosure provides a few mode optical fiber (100). The few mode optical fiber (100) includes a core region (102). A core region (102) defined by a region around a central longitudinal axis (116) of the few mode optical fiber (100). In addition, the core region (102) has a first annular region (106) extended from central longitudinal axis (116) to radius r.sub.1, a second annular region (108) extended from radius r.sub.1 to radius r.sub.2, a third annular region (110) extended from radius r.sub.2 to radius r.sub.3, a fourth annular region (112) extended from radius r.sub.3 to radius r.sub.4 and a fifth annular region (114) extended from radius r.sub.4 to radius r.sub.5. Also, the few mode optical fiber (100) has a cladding defined by the sixth annular region (104) extended from radius r.sub.5 to radius r.sub.6.

A high bandwidth radiation-resistant multimode optical fiber includes a core and a cladding layer surrounding the core. The core is a fluorine-doped quartz glass layer with a graded refractive index distribution and a distribution power exponent of 1.7-2.2. The core has R1 of 15-35 m and 1%min of 0.8% to 1.2%. The cladding layer has an inner cladding layer having R2 of 15-38 m and 2% of 0.8% to 1.2% and/or a depressed inner cladding layer having R3 of 15-55 m and 3 of 1.0% to 1.4%, an intermediate cladding layer having R4 of 15.5-58 m and 4 of 0.7% to 0.2% a depressed cladding layer hasving R5 of 16-60 m and 5 of 0.8% to 1.2%, and an outer cladding layer sequentially formed from inside to outside. The outer cladding layer is a pure silica glass layer.

The present disclosure provides a few mode optical fiber. The few mode optical fiber includes a core region. A core region defined by a region around a central longitudinal axis of the few mode optical fiber. In addition, the core region has a first annular region extended from central longitudinal axis to radius r.sub.1, a second annular region extended from radius r.sub.1 to radius r.sub.2, a third annular region extended from radius r.sub.2 to radius r.sub.3, a fourth annular region extended from radius r.sub.3 to radius r.sub.4 and a fifth annular region extended from radius r.sub.4 to radius r.sub.5. Also, the few mode optical fiber has a cladding defined by the sixth annular region extended from radius r.sub.5 to radius r.sub.6.

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for providing an optical beam delivery system, comprising an optical fiber including a first length of fiber comprising a first RIP formed to enable, at least in part, modification of one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam by a perturbation assembly arranged to modify the one or more beam characteristics, the perturbation assembly coupled to the first length of fiber or integral with the first length of fiber, or a combination thereof and a second length of fiber coupled to the first length of fiber and having a second RIP formed to preserve at least a portion of the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam modified by the perturbation assembly within one or more first confinement regions. The optical beam delivery system may include an optical system coupled to the second length of fiber including one or more free-space optics configured to receive and transmit an optical beam comprising the modified one or more beam characteristics.

A method of processing by controlling one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam may include: launching the optical beam into a first length of fiber having a first refractive-index profile (RIP); coupling the optical beam from the first length of fiber into a second length of fiber having a second RIP and one or more confinement regions; modifying the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber, in the second length of fiber, or in the first and second lengths of fiber; confining the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam within the one or more confinement regions of the second length of fiber; and/or generating an output beam, having the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam, from the second length of fiber. The first RIP may differ from the second RIP.