Practical, rapid, and process-on-place polymer-free cladding power stripping for high power fiber lasers

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Laser Technology

Background:

• High-power fiber lasers require efficient management of unwanted cladding light.
• Traditional polymer-based cladding power strippers can degrade under high power and temperature.
• Developing polymer-free solutions is crucial for enhanced reliability and performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel polymer-free cladding power stripper.
• To investigate a rapid chemical etching technique for creating surface roughness.
• To evaluate the stripping efficiency and thermal performance for various fiber types.

Main Methods:

• A practical, process-on-place chemical etching technique was employed.
• Surface roughness was induced on double-clad fibers (130, 250, and 400 µm).
• Stripping efficiency and thermal performance were analyzed against etching time and length.

Main Results:

• Achieved at least 15 dB attenuation with a thermal slope below 0.045 °C/W for all tested fiber types.
• Demonstrated power scalability by stripping ~600 W with a thermal slope of ~0.021 °C/W on a 400 µm fiber.
• The technique proved effective for various double-clad fiber diameters.

Conclusions:

• The presented chemical etching method offers an effective polymer-free solution for cladding light removal.
• The technique provides excellent thermal management and high stripping efficiency for high-power fiber laser applications.
• This approach shows significant potential for scalable, reliable high-power fiber laser systems.