TY - GEN
T1 - Delivery of high energy light through pbg fiber for laser machining
AU - Shephard, Jonathan D.
AU - Mangan, B. J.
AU - Jones, Julian D C
AU - Bouwmans, Geraud
AU - Russell, Phillip St J
AU - Knight, Jonathan C.
AU - Hand, Duncan P.
PY - 2004/12/1
Y1 - 2004/12/1
N2 - Conventional silica fiber optics cannot currently deliver the high beam quality, high peak power pulses required for micro-machining applications due to damage limitations. Recently developed photonic bandgap (PBG) fibers have the potential to overcome this limitation as the power is mostly contained within an air-core, with guidance arising from the periodic nature of the cladding. We report the delivery of high energy nanosecond pulses from a high repetition rate (up to 100 kHz) Q-switched Nd:YAG laser through the fundamental mode of a PBG fiber at 1064 nm. The damage limitations of the PBG silica structure are investigated, together with its application to precision micro-machining. We present an optimized fiber design to reduce the light-in-glass fraction and hence maximize the power handling capability. Short pulses (around 60 ns pulse width) and energies of the order of 0.5 mJ were delivered in a single spatial mode through the hollow-core fiber providing the pulse energy and high beam quality required for micro-machining of metals. Practical micro-machining of metal sheet is also presented.
AB - Conventional silica fiber optics cannot currently deliver the high beam quality, high peak power pulses required for micro-machining applications due to damage limitations. Recently developed photonic bandgap (PBG) fibers have the potential to overcome this limitation as the power is mostly contained within an air-core, with guidance arising from the periodic nature of the cladding. We report the delivery of high energy nanosecond pulses from a high repetition rate (up to 100 kHz) Q-switched Nd:YAG laser through the fundamental mode of a PBG fiber at 1064 nm. The damage limitations of the PBG silica structure are investigated, together with its application to precision micro-machining. We present an optimized fiber design to reduce the light-in-glass fraction and hence maximize the power handling capability. Short pulses (around 60 ns pulse width) and energies of the order of 0.5 mJ were delivered in a single spatial mode through the hollow-core fiber providing the pulse energy and high beam quality required for micro-machining of metals. Practical micro-machining of metal sheet is also presented.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=56749112507&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Chapter in a published conference proceeding
SN - 0912035773
SN - 9780912035772
T3 - ICALEO 2004 - 23rd International Congress on Applications of Laser and Electro-Optics, Congress Proceedings
BT - ICALEO 2004 - 23rd International Congress on Applications of Laser and Electro-Optics, Congress Proceedings
T2 - ICALEO 2004 - 23rd International Congress on Applications of Laser and Electro-Optics
Y2 - 4 October 2004 through 7 October 2004
ER -