Femtosecond Laser-Based Cleaving of Optical Fiber
Fiber cleaving is an important technique in the area of fiber optics. A femtosecond laser-based scribing procedure using the PHAROS laser from Light Conversion has been demonstrated for cleaving silica optical fiber. The technique also has important potential advantages compared to laser cleaving based on melting. With further development, this technique has the potential to be used for automated cleaving of specialty fibers and multi-fiber arrays with comparable cleave quality.
The femtosecond laser PHAROS combines millijoule pulse energies and high average powers. The laser features a mechanical and optical design optimized for industrial applications, such as precise material processing. The versatile design allows quick and seamless integration into machining workstations. Laser diodes pumping a Yb medium significantly reduce maintenance costs and provide a long laser lifetime. The flexibility of PHAROS allows the system to cover applications normally requiring different classes of lasers.
Tunable parameters include pulse duration (190 fs – 20 ps), repetition rate (single pulse to 1 MHz), pulse energy (up to 2 mJ) and average power (up to 20 W). Its power level is sufficient for most material processing applications at high machining speeds. The built‑in pulse picker allows convenient control of the laser output in pulse‑on‑demand mode. Due to the robust optomechanical design and thermal stabilization, the PHAROS laser system features stable laser operation across varying environments.
To request more information or a quotation for Light Conversion products, contact IL Photonics.