Cladless fiber for fiber laser pump and combiner

A packaged laser diode assembly, comprising:

• a length of optical fiber having a core and a polymer buffer in direct contact with the core, the length of optical fiber having a first section and a second section, the first section of the length of optical fiber including a tip of an input end of the optical fiber, wherein the polymer buffer covers only the second section of the first and second sections;
• one or more laser diodes to generate laser light;
• means for directing a beam derived from the laser light into the input end of the length of optical fiber;
• a light stripper coupled with the core in the first section of the length of optical fiber;
• wherein a front exterior surface of the light stripper closest to the tip of the optical fiber comprises a means for scattering light and/or a means for diffracting light, and
• wherein the light stripper is arranged to strip high numerical aperture (NA) light received at an interior of the light stripper from the core and low NA light received at a front exterior surface of the light stripper.