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.

An optical fiber for converting a Gaussian laser beam into a Bessel laser beam may include a first segment optically coupled to a second segment with a transition region, the first segment having a first outer diameter greater than a second outer diameter of the second segment. The first segment may include a first core portion with a first cladding portion extending around the first core portion. The second segment may include a second core portion with a second cladding portion extending around the second core portion. The optical fiber may have a non-axisymmetric refractive index profile or may be coupled to an end cap with a non-axisymmetric refractive index profile.

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 light-diffusing optical fiber having nanostructured inner and outer core regions is disclosed. The nanostructured inner core region is defined by a first configuration of voids that defines a first amount of light scattering. The outer core region is defined by a second configuration of voids that defines a second amount of light scattering that is different from the first amount of light scattering. A cladding surrounds the nanostructured core. Light scattered out of the inner core region scatters from the outer core region and then out of the cladding as scattered light. Selective bending of the light-diffusing optical fiber is used to define a bending configuration that allows for tailoring the intensity distribution of the scattered light emitted from the fiber as a function of the length of the fiber.

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 refractive index of a fiber core of a few mode optical fiber is n1. A cladding layer surrounding the fiber core includes: a downward-concave cladding layer surrounding the fiber core, the refractive index thereof is n2; a first upward-convex cladding layer surrounding the downward-concave cladding layer, the refractive index thereof is n3; a second upward-convex cladding layer surrounding the first upward-convex cladding layer, the refractive index thereof is n4; an outer layer surrounding the second upward-convex cladding layer, the refractive index thereof is n5. The refractive indexes of the fiber core, the downward-concave cladding layer, the first upward-convex cladding layer, the second upward-convex cladding layer, the outer layer satisfy: n.sub.1>n3>n.sub.4>n.sub.5>n.sub.2. The fiber is a non-single mode in a direct waveguide state, and equivalent single-mode transmission can be achieved when the optical fiber is bent at a specific bending radius.

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.

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.

Methods, apparatus, and systems comprising a fiber-coupled laser and time-varying beam characteristics. A laser may generate an optical beam that is launched into one or more lengths of fiber, at least one of which comprises a confinement region that is optically coupled to an output. A perturbation device may modulate, through action upon the one or more lengths of fiber, a beam characteristic over a time period during which the laser is energized. A controller may cause the perturbation device to act upon the one or more lengths of fiber to impart a time-averaged beam characteristic and/or to induce a continuous variation in one or more beam characteristics during system use. A process monitor may sense a metric external to the optical system, and a feedback signal from the process monitor may be coupled into the controller. Dynamic beam characteristics may be modulated based on the feedback signal.