Highly Integrated Cladding Mode Stripper Array for Compact High-Power Industrial Fiber Laser

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Laser Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Fiber lasers are crucial for industrial processing, but their size and heat generation are limiting factors.
• Cladding mode strippers (CMS) are essential but bulky and hot components in fiber laser systems.
• Current fiber laser architectures require multiple CMS, increasing overall device footprint and complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate an integrated design for multiple cladding mode strippers (CMS) within a single device.
• To enhance the compactness and power-to-volume ratio of fiber lasers for industrial applications.
• To demonstrate simultaneous operation of multiple CMS without compromising performance or increasing thermal load.

Main Methods:

• A novel design integrating multiple CMS into a single housing by offset-placing intense light-stripping regions.
• Implementation of two and three CMS array devices.
• Validation tests involving ~500-W cladding power injection into each port.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated effective separation of hot regions, allowing simultaneous full-power operation of integrated CMS.
• Achieved minimal temperature increments (≤2.1 °C) with concurrent operation compared to single CMS.
• Realized significant space/weight reduction: 50% for two-CMS arrays and 67% for three-CMS arrays.

Conclusions:

• The integrated CMS design significantly enhances fiber laser compactness and efficiency.
• This approach offers a viable path towards miniaturized, higher power-to-volume ratio fiber lasers for industrial use.
• The integration method provides a reference for miniaturizing other fiber laser components, potentially lowering costs.