Nlight, Incorporated

Dahv A V Kliner

Roger L Farrow

Brian Victor

Robert J Martinsen

Aaron W Brown

Scott R Karlsen

Ken Gross

Chris A Rivera

David Martin Hemenway

Joseph Emery

David C Dawson

Tyson Lowder

C Geoffrey Fanning

Lynn Sheehan

Wolfram Urbanek

Joona Koponen

Aaron Ludwig Hodges

David R Balsley

Jay Small

Ryan Hawke

Timothy S McComb

Jacob Lee Bell

Keith W Kennedy

Teemu Kokki

Jeremy Young

Ron Stevens

Juan Carlos Lugo

Nicolas Trent Meacham

Austin Hagarty

Some embodiments may include a power monitor to measure power of laser light propagating in a core of an optical fiber; the power monitor to generate a sensor signal using an optical sensor having a light sensitive section with no line of sight to part of the optical fiber; wherein the sensor signal is derived from light emerging laterally from the part of the optical fiber. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Power monitoring in fiber-coupled laser systems

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.

Splice with cladding mode light stripping

Optical fiber devices, systems, and methods for coupling Raman spectrum out of an optical fiber selectively over a signal spectrum, which may be propagated in one or more guided modes of a fiber system. A fiber system may include a chirped fiber Bragg grating (CFBG) or a long period fiber grating (LPFG), each to unguide Raman light propagating in a core propagation mode of a fiber completely out of the fiber (through any surrounding cladding layer(s)) selectively over signal spectrum which is to remain in a guided mode of the fiber.

Optical fiber devices and methods for directing Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) light out of a fiber

Disclosed is an optical fiber-based divergence-limiting device for limiting divergence from a first maximum divergence of input light to a second maximum divergence of output light, in which the second maximum divergence is less than the first maximum divergence.

All-fiber divergence limiter

Fiber laser devices, systems, and methods for reducing Raman spectrum in emissions from a resonant cavity. A fiber laser oscillator that is to generate an optical beam may include a Raman reflecting output coupler that strongly reflects a Raman component pumped within the resonant cavity, and partially reflects a signal component to sustain the oscillator and emit a signal that has a reduced Raman component. A Raman filtering output coupler may comprise a superstructure fiber grating, and such a grating may be chirped or otherwise designed to have a desired bandwidth.

Optical fiber devices and methods for reducing stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) light emissions from a resonant cavity

Apparatus include a first optical fiber including a core situated to propagate a signal beam at a signal wavelength and an unwanted stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) beam at an SRS wavelength associated with the signal wavelength, and a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) situated in a core of a second optical fiber optically coupled to the core of the first optical fiber, the FBG having a selected grating reflectivity associated with the SRS wavelength and being situated to reflect the SRS beam back along the core of the second optical fiber and to reduce a damage associated with propagation of the SRS beam to power sensitive laser system components optically coupled to the second optical fiber. Methods are also disclosed.

Methods for SRS protection of laser components and apparatus providing SRS protection

Disclosed herein are methods, apparatus, and systems for providing an optical beam delivery system, comprising an optical fiber including a first length of fiber comprising a first RIP formed to enable, at least in part, modification of one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam by a perturbation assembly arranged to modify the one or more beam characteristics, the perturbation assembly coupled to the first length of fiber or integral with the first length of fiber, or a combination thereof and a second length of fiber coupled to the first length of fiber and having a second RIP formed to preserve at least a portion of the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam modified by the perturbation assembly within one or more first confinement regions. The optical beam delivery system may include an optical system coupled to the second length of fiber including one or more free-space optics configured to receive and transmit an optical beam comprising the modified one or more beam characteristics.

Adjustable beam characteristics

A method of processing by controlling one or more beam characteristics of an optical beam may include: launching the optical beam into a first length of fiber having a first refractive-index profile (RIP); coupling the optical beam from the first length of fiber into a second length of fiber having a second RIP and one or more confinement regions; modifying the one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam in the first length of fiber, in the second length of fiber, or in the first and second lengths of fiber; confining the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam within the one or more confinement regions of the second length of fiber; and/or generating an output beam, having the modified one or more beam characteristics of the optical beam, from the second length of fiber. The first RIP may differ from the second RIP.

Methods of and systems for processing using adjustable beam characteristics

Fiber bending mechanisms vary beam characteristics by deflecting or bending one or more fibers, by urging portions of one or more fibers toward a fiber shaping surface having a selectable curvature, or by selecting a fiber length that is to be urged toward the fiber shaping surface. In some examples, a fiber is secured to a flexible plate to conform to a variable curvature of the flexible plate. In other examples, a variable length of a fiber is pulled or pushed toward a fiber shaping surface, and the length of the fiber or a curvature of the flexible plate provide modification of fiber beam characteristics.

Optical fiber bending mechanisms

Some embodiments may include a fiber laser including two or more input fibers and an output fiber to deliver a beam to a workpiece, the fiber laser comprising. The fiber laser may include a combiner having ends and a length, wherein the combiner is arranged to release, from its length, a portion of back-reflected light received from the output fiber at an output end of the ends from the combiner, the combiner including: a capillary tube to enclose part of the two or more input fibers at an input end of the ends of the combiner, the capillary tube having ends and a length located between the ends of the capillary tube; and a cladding light stripper (CLS) defined by part of the length of the capillary tube, wherein the CLS provides the release of the portion of the back-reflected light. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.

Capillary tube to strip back-reflected light

An apparatus includes an optical gain fiber having a core, a cladding surrounding the core, the core and cladding defining an optical gain fiber numerical aperture, and a multimode fiber having a core with a larger radius than a radius of the optical gain fiber core, a cladding surrounding the core, the core and cladding of the multimode fiber defining a multimode fiber stable numerical aperture that is larger than the optical gain fiber numerical aperture, the multimode fiber being optically coupled to the optical gain fiber so as to receive an optical beam propagating in the optical gain fiber and to stably propagate the received optical beam in the multimode fiber core with low optical loss associated with the optical coupling.

Fiber source with cascaded gain stages and/or multimode delivery fiber with low splice loss

A fiber connector, comprising a housing comprising a region extending in a lengthwise direction an optical fiber disposed in the region, a first portion of the optical fiber comprising an inner core, a cladding layer surrounding the core, and a first outer polymer layer surrounding the cladding layer and a second portion of the optical fiber comprising the inner core, the cladding layer surrounding the core and a second outer polymer layer that is different from the first polymer layer.

High-numerical aperture light stripper

An example apparatus includes an optical fiber including a core and cladding, the core being situated to propagate an optical beam along a propagation axis associated with the core, and at least one fiber Bragg grating (FBG) situated in the core of the optical fiber, the fiber Bragg grating including a plurality of periodically spaced grating portions situated with respect to the propagation axis so that light associated with Raman scattering is directed out of the core so as to reduce the generation of optical gain associated with stimulated Raman scattering (SRS).

Slanted FBG for SRS suppression

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.

An apparatus includes a camera, a dark field illumination source, and a fiber inspection housing including a fiber connector input situated to receive an optical fiber connector so that an optical fiber output end of the optical fiber connector is removably insertable into an interior region of the fiber inspection housing and securable at a predetermined location in the interior region, a camera input situated to receive and secure the camera so that the camera is in optical communication with the interior region and the optical fiber output end, and a dark field illumination source input situated to receive the dark field illumination source so that light emitted from the dark field illumination source is received by the optical fiber output end at a dark field illumination angle and is scattered by contamination or defects associated with the optical fiber output end so as to be detectable by the camera.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Dahv A V Kliner