# US 2017/0285266 A1 · Compact optical fiber cleaving apparatus and methods using a microchip laser system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0285266 A1 - Document ID: US20170285266A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/459,726 - Filed: 2017-03-15 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-01 - Assignees: Corning Optical Communications LLC - Applicants: Corning Optical Communications LLC - Inventors: Qi Wu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170285266A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/25: Preparing the ends of light guides for coupling, e.g. cutting - B23K 26/0006: {taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence)} - B23K 26/032: {using optical means} - B23K 26/53: for modifying or reforming the material inside the workpiece, e.g. for producing break initiation cracks - B23K 26/703: {Cooling arrangements (by using a fluid stream B23K26/14)} - H01S 3/0071: {Beam steering, e.g. whereby a mirror outside the cavity is present to change the beam direction} - H01S 3/0405: {Conductive cooling, e.g. by heat sinks or thermo-electric elements} - H01S 3/042: for solid state lasers {(H01S3/0401 takes precedence)} - H01S 3/094053: {Fibre coupled pump, e.g. delivering pump light using a fibre or a fibre bundle} - H01S 3/09415: {the pumping beam being parallel to the lasing mode of the pumped medium, e.g. end-pumping} - B23K 2103/54: {Glass} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL ## Abstract An optical fiber cleaving apparatus that employs a microchip laser system for cleaving an optical fiber is disclosed. The microchip laser system is operably arranged relative to an optical system that receives an initial laser beam and forms a focused laser beam that includes a focus spot. The focus spot is directed to the outer surface of the optical fiber to create an optical damage zone that includes at least one micro-crack necessary for performing the cleaving operation. Methods of aligning the optical fiber to the focus spot and performing the cleaving operation using the cleaving apparatus are also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical fiber cleaving apparatus for cleaving an optical fiber that has an optical damage threshold irradiance, comprising: an optical fiber holder configured to hold a bare fiber section of the optical fiber; a microchip laser system configured to generate an initial laser beam having a wavelength in the range from 266 nanometers (nm) to 1600 nm, and optical pulses with a pulse duration between 200 ns and 200 ps and a pulse rate in the range from 1 Hz to 1 MHz; and an optical system configured to receive the initial laser beam and form therefrom a focused laser beam having a numerical aperture NA in the range 0.1≦NA≦0.6 and a focus spot that can be made incident upon the bare fiber section, the focus spot having a peak optical irradiance that exceeds the optical damage threshold irradiance in order to form a micro-crack in an optical damage zone within the bare fiber section. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the microchip laser system is operably supported in an optoelectronic package having dimensions Lx, Ly and Lz, wherein Lx is in the range from 20 mm to 50 mm, Ly is in the range from 10 mm to 30 mm and Lz is in the range from 20 mm to 100 mm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical system includes a beam expander and a focusing lens. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fiber holder is configured to place the bare fiber section under tension. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one optical monitoring device arranged relative to the bare optical fiber section and configured to detect light, wherein the light includes at least one of light that escapes from the bare fiber section and light that is emitted by the bare fiber section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the light includes at least one of scattered light and luminescence light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one optical monitoring device is configured to receive light from the focused laser beam after the light passes through and is redirected by the bare fiber section. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one optical monitoring device is configured to be arranged at an end of the optical fiber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fiber holder is adjustable to adjust a focus position of the focus spot relative to an outer surface of the bare fiber section. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a precision stage that supports either the fiber holder or the optical system and that is capable of adjusting a spacing S between the focus spot and the bare fiber section to within a fraction of a micron. ### Claim 11 An optical fiber cleaving apparatus for cleaving an optical fiber that has an optical damage threshold irradiance, comprising: an optical fiber holder configured to hold a bare fiber section of the optical fiber; a microchip laser system comprising a pump laser operably arranged relative to a microchip laser, the microchip laser system operably supported by an optoelectronic package and configured to generate an initial pulsed laser beam; and an optical system configured to receive the initial laser beam and form therefrom a focused laser beam and a focus spot that can be made incident upon the bare fiber section, the focus spot having a peak optical irradiance that exceeds the optical damage threshold irradiance in order to form a micro-crack in an optical damage zone within the bare fiber section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optoelectronic package includes at least one thermoelectric cooling device for cooling at least one of the pump laser and the microchip laser. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the initial pulsed laser beam has a wavelength in the range from 266 nanometers (nm) to 1600 nm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the initial pulsed laser beam includes optical pulses with a pulse duration between 200 ns and 200 ps and a pulse rate in the range from 1 Hz to 1 MHz. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The optical fiber cleaving apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising at least one optical monitoring device arranged relative to the bare optical fiber section and configured to detect light, wherein the light includes at least one of light that escapes from the bare fiber section and light that is emitted by the bare fiber section. ### Claim 16 A method of cleaving an optical fiber having a bare fiber section with an outer surface, a diameter D, and an optical damage threshold irradiance, comprising: generating from a microchip laser system an initial laser beam having a wavelength in the range from 266 nanometers (nm) to 1600 nm and optical pulses with a pulse duration between 200 ns and 200 ps and a pulse rate in the range from 1 Hz to 1 MHz; forming from the initial laser beam a focused laser beam with a focus spot having an optical irradiance that exceeds the optical damage threshold irradiance; and irradiating the bare fiber section with the focused laser beam to form an optical damage zone in the bare fiber section, wherein the optical damage zone includes at least one micro-crack having a length LC in the range (0.04)·D≦LCT≦(0.5)·D. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising: monitoring an amount of light that includes at least one of light that escapes from the bare fiber section and light that is emitted by the bare fiber section; and using the monitored amount of light to determine the length LC of the at least one micro-crack. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the monitored amount of light includes scattered light. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the monitored amount of light includes luminescent light. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further including supporting the bare fiber section using a fiber holder that is movable in sub-micron increments relative to the focus spot. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further including aligning the bare fiber section with the focus spot by: a) measuring an intensity pattern of redirected light formed by passing a divergent light beam from the focus spot through the bare fiber section to determine a distance S between the focus spot and the bare fiber section; and b) moving the bare fiber section toward the focus spot by the distance S. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further including separating the bare fiber section at the at least one micro-crack to form a cleaved end face.