The present invention relates generally to high brightness optical fiber systems and, more particularly to optical fiber systems 104 having an optical power module 151 remote from an initial amplifier stage 101. In one aspect of the invention, the optical fiber system comprises a first active optical fiber 102 operatively coupled to one or more first pump sources 104; a first signal optical fiber 110 coupled to the first active optical fiber 102; one or more final pump sources 120; one or more final pump optical fibers 130, coupled to one or more of the final pump sources 120; and spatially separated from the one or more final pump sources 120 and the initial amplifier stage 101 comprising the first active optical fiber 102, a power module 151, comprising a final active optical fiber 150, coupled to the first signal optical fiber 110, said final active optical fiber 150 being coupled to said one or more final pump optical fibers 130.

An optical amplifier module is configured as a multi-stage free-space optics arrangement, including at least an input stage and an output stage. The actual amplification is provided by a separate fiber-based component coupled to the module. A propagating optical input signal and pump light are provided to the input stage, with the amplified optical signal exiting the output stage. The necessary operations performed on the signal within each stage are provided by directing free-space beams through discrete optical components. The utilization of discrete optical components and free-space beams significantly reduces the number of fiber splices and other types of coupling connections required in prior art amplifier modules, allowing for an automated process to create a “pluggable” optical amplifier module of small form factor proportions.

To provide a clean bench that can prevent failure of optical components due to intrusion of dust and moisture, and enables to perform maintenance replacement of the optical unit, verification processes after replacement, etc. favorably, and a laser fiber oscillator mounting the same. A laser fiber oscillator includes a housing that accommodates an optical unit to be able to be drawn out; and a clean bench that is detachable to a side of the optical unit, and forms a closed space which is isolated from outside, above the optical unit that has been drawn out from the housing, in which a communication opening that is in communication with an internal space of the housing is formed in the clean bench.

The present disclosure relates to a fiber encapsulation mechanism for energy dissipation in a fiber amplifying system. One example embodiment includes an optical fiber amplifier. The optical fiber amplifier includes an optical fiber that includes a gain medium, as well as a polymer layer that at least partially surrounds the optical fiber. The polymer layer is optically transparent. In addition, the optical fiber amplifier includes a pump source. Optical pumping by the pump source amplifies optical signals in the optical fiber and generates excess heat and excess photons. The optical fiber amplifier additionally includes a heatsink layer disposed adjacent to the polymer layer. The heatsink layer conducts the excess heat away from the optical fiber. Further, the optical fiber amplifier includes an optically transparent layer disposed adjacent to the polymer layer. The optically transparent layer transmits the excess photons away from the optical fiber.

Aspects described herein include a method of fabricating an optical component. The method comprises electrically coupling different laser channels of a laser die to different electrical leads, testing a respective optical coupling of each of the different laser channels, optically aligning an optical fiber with a first laser channel of the different laser channels having the greatest optical coupling, and designating a second laser channel of the different laser channels as a heater element for the first laser channel.

A fiber laser system includes: an array of gain fibers configured to transmit signal light; and an array of tapered end caps configured to receive the signal light and output the signal light, wherein each gain fiber in the array of gain fibers is spliced to a respective tapered end cap of the array of tapered end caps. A counter-pumping light source is configured to output counter-pumping light. A dichroic mirror is configured to receive the counter-pumping light and the signal light from the array of tapered end caps. The dichroic mirror is further configured to either allow the counter-pumping light received by the dichroic mirror to pass through the dichroic mirror and reflect the signal light received by the dichroic mirror or allow the signal light received by the dichroic mirror to pass through the dichroic mirror and reflect the counter-pumping light received by the dichroic mirror.

An optical fiber for a fiber laser includes a core to which a rare-earth element is added, a first cladding formed around the core; and a second cladding formed around the first cladding, and excitation light is guided from at least one end of the first cladding to excite the rare-earth element to output a laser oscillation light. An addition concentration of the rare-earth element to the core is different in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber for a fiber laser, and a core diameter and a numerical aperture of the optical fiber for a fiber laser are constant in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber for a fiber laser.

An optical fiber securing structure includes: an optical fiber including a coating, and a coating-removed section in which a partial section of the coating is removed from the optical fiber; a reinforcement member including main surfaces and a groove formed from one of the main surfaces toward an inside of the reinforcement member, where the groove has a pair of side walls and a bottom wall; and a resin member that secures the coating-removed section to the pair of side walls and the bottom wall. A bottom part of the groove that includes the bottom wall has a widthwise cross-sectional shape where the bottom wall constitutes a trapezoidal shape such that a distance between the pair of side walls becomes greater in a direction away from the bottom wall.

Double-clad optical fibers with polymer outer coatings are used in fiber amplifiers and fiber lasers to guide and amplify light. As the optical power increases, the optical fibers must dissipate more heat. Unfortunately, it is difficult to dissipate heat through a polymer cladding, especially at high altitude, without introducing phase noise in the optical signal. To overcome this problem, the inventors have realized metallized polymer-clad optical fibers with superior heat dissipation characteristics than conventional polymer-clad optical fibers. An example metallized polymer-clad optical fiber includes a thin chrome layer that is vacuum-deposited onto the polymer cladding at low temperature, then electroplated with a thicker copper layer. In operation, the copper layer dissipates heat from within the fiber's core and claddings via a heatsink, enabling the fiber to guide and amplify high-power optical signals at high altitude.

The invention relates to a measuring device for acquiring surface data and/or interfaces of a workpiece to be processed by a laser processing device. The laser processing device comprises a laser source and a processing head which is configured to provide at least one high-energy processing beam, in particular a laser beam. The laser source and the processing head are interconnected by an optical fiber and the measuring device comprises a scanning device configured as an optical coherence tomograph for surface scanning and/or interface scanning of the workpiece. The optical fiber which interconnects the laser source and the processing head forms a component of the scanning device.