Laser diode system with low numerical aperture clad light stripping

A packaged laser diode assembly, comprising:

• a length of optical fiber having a core and a cladding layer, 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;
• 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;
• means for stripping light on the second section of the length of optical fiber;
• and
• means for scattering light in the first section of the length of optical fiber, wherein the light scattering means defines at least one side of a void along a length of the optical fiber, wherein the void is positioned distally of the tip of the input end of the optical fiber and has at least one sloped sidewall that reflects light entering the cladding layer by reflecting light due to the slope, and
• wherein light entering the first section has a propagation angle parallel to the core and the at least one sloped surface of the void changes the propagation angle of some of the light to a propagation angle that is non-parallel with an axis of the core.