Splice with cladding mode light stripping
AssigneenLIGHT, Inc.
InventorsChris A. Rivera, Dahv A. V. Kliner, Joseph Emery
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Beam combining optical systems include a fiber beam combiner having multiple inputs to which output fibers of laser diode sources are spliced. Cladding light stripping regions are situated at the splices and include exposed portions of fiber claddings that are at least partially encapsulated with an optical adhesive or a polymer. A beam combiner fiber that is optically downstream of a laser source has an exposed cladding secured to a thermally conductive support with a polymer or other material that is index matched to the exposed cladding. This construction permits attenuation of cladding light propagating toward a beam combiner from a splice.
Claims13
An optical system, comprising:
- a fiber optic beam combiner connected to a plurality of input fibers and a combiner output fiber;
- a first laser source optically coupled to a laser output fiber that is spliced to a first input fiber of the plurality of input fibers,
- wherein the first laser source produces a first signal laser beam that exits the fiber optic beam combiner, as a laser output beam, in the combiner output fiber,
- wherein the laser output beam is directable to a target;
- and
- a beam dump coupled to a second input fiber of the plurality of input fibers of the fiber optic beam combiner,
- wherein the second input fiber is not connected to a laser source,
- wherein the second input fiber receives a separate beam from the target,
- wherein the separate beam is associated with the laser output beam and propagates in a reverse direction from the laser output beam, and
- wherein the beam dump diffuses the separate beam therein.
A method, comprising:
- directing a beam from a first laser beam delivery fiber to a first beam combiner input fiber of a beam combiner through an optical splice that couples the first laser beam delivery fiber and the first beam combiner input fiber;
- conducting a laser output beam from the beam combiner to a target;
- attenuating cladding light produced at the optical splice with an exposed cladding portion of the first beam combiner input fiber that is embedded in a transparent index matching polymer;
- coupling a second beam combiner input fiber to a beam dump,
- wherein the second beam combiner input fiber is not connected to a laser source,
- wherein the second beam combiner input fiber receives a separate beam from the target, and
- wherein the separate beam is associated with the laser output beam and propagates in a reverse direction from the laser output beam, and
- diffusing the separate beam by the beam dump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.