High efficiency pump combiner fabricated by CO2 laser splicing system

Gongwen Zhu

doi:10.1117/12.2282984

20 February 2018 High efficiency pump combiner fabricated by CO₂ laser splicing system

Gongwen Zhu

Proceedings Volume 10513, Components and Packaging for Laser Systems IV; 105131C (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2282984
Event: SPIE LASE, 2018, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

High power combiners are of great interest for high power fiber lasers and fiber amplifiers. With the advent of CO₂ laser splicing system, power combiners are made possible with low manufacturing cost, low loss, high reliability and high performance. Traditionally fiber optical components are fabricated with flame torch, electrode arc discharge or filament heater. However, these methods can easily leave contamination on the fiber, resulting inconsistent performance or even catching fire in high power operations. The electrodes or filaments also degrade rapidly during the combiner manufacturing process. The rapid degradation will lead to extensive maintenance, making it unpractical or uneconomic for volume production. By contrast, CO₂ laser is the cleanest heating source which provides reliable and repeatable process for fabricating fiber optic components including high power combiners.

In this paper we present an all fiber end pumped 7x1 pump combiner fabricated by CO₂ laser splicing system. The input pump fibers are 105/125 (core/clad diameters in μm) fibers with a core NA of 0.22. The output fiber is a 300/320 fiber with a core NA of 0.22. The average efficiency is 99.4% with all 7 ports more than 99%. The process is contamination-free and highly repeatable. To our best knowledge, this is the first report in the literature on power combiners fabricated by CO₂ laser splicing system. It also has the highest reported efficiency of its kind.

Citation Download Citation

Gongwen Zhu "High efficiency pump combiner fabricated by CO₂ laser splicing system", Proc. SPIE 10513, Components and Packaging for Laser Systems IV, 105131C (20 February 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2282984

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