Fiber-optic cable with monitoring of backward-propagating radiation

A fiber-optic cable with monitoring of backward-propagating radiation, comprising:

• an optical fiber for transporting a forward-propagating laser beam, the optical fiber including a core, a cladding, and an output end-face configured to emit the forward-propagating laser beam;
• a mode-stripper, in or on the cladding along a longitudinal segment of the optical fiber, for coupling out of the cladding backward-propagating radiation that has been coupled into the cladding at the output end-face;
• a waveguide containing at least a portion of the longitudinal segment of the optical fiber and configured to guide at least a fraction of the backward-propagating radiation, coupled out of the cladding by the mode-stripper, in a backward direction away from the output end-face, the waveguide having a rear end farthest from the output end-face;
• and
• one or more optical receivers for receiving respective portions of the backward-propagating radiation emerging from the rear end of the waveguide, each optical receiver including a sensor or an optical-fiber port.