Fiber Optics and Lasers

Liquidsys · Sep 10, 2009

I apologize if this topic has been covered, I read all 6 pages of this forum and couldn't find any details.

Basically, as anyone connected or used fiber optics with their laser?

I'll tell you what I have and what I'm envisioning.

I have both a 4x BR and a 120-150mw O-Like green lab style laser. Using either one (I don't care which), I'd like to assemble a fiber-optic cable into a 'light pen' essentially, to focus all of that energy into one tiny point on the output of my 'light pen'. Essentially I could use this for things like engraving wood or plastics or leather or what have you, if I were to use a powerful enough laser, such as an 8x Blu-Ray @ 300-400mw or so.

Getting a fiber cable isn't hard, but is there any good easy way to mount the 'intake' portion of this fiber through some sort of coupler that would be able to mount over the output of my green or BR in order to take the entire beam?

Any tips or help would be great, if I can get something decent figured out I'll post the entire tutorial.

-Jesse

FireMyLaser · Sep 10, 2009

Are you spying on me? What's what I'm doing right now on the RGV.

I just glued an empty aixis nut to the fiber. (older pic sry)

It does not burn however, just stings the skin. But it becomes a VERY cool flashlight!

ElektroFreak · Sep 10, 2009

Liquidsys said:
I apologize if this topic has been covered, I read all 6 pages of this forum and couldn't find any details.

Basically, as anyone connected or used fiber optics with their laser?

I'll tell you what I have and what I'm envisioning.

I have both a 4x BR and a 120-150mw O-Like green lab style laser. Using either one (I don't care which), I'd like to assemble a fiber-optic cable into a 'light pen' essentially, to focus all of that energy into one tiny point on the output of my 'light pen'. Essentially I could use this for things like engraving wood or plastics or leather or what have you, if I were to use a powerful enough laser, such as an 8x Blu-Ray @ 300-400mw or so.

Getting a fiber cable isn't hard, but is there any good easy way to mount the 'intake' portion of this fiber through some sort of coupler that would be able to mount over the output of my green or BR in order to take the entire beam?

Any tips or help would be great, if I can get something decent figured out I'll post the entire tutorial.

-Jesse

I might be misunderstanding your question, but if all you want to do is focus the laser's output to a point then why not just use a lens to focus the laser? Normally fiber optics are used either for data transmission or if you need a laser source to be physically separate from where its output emerges. Fibers will always produce small losses, so you would be better off with a coated lens. The 405-G-1 would work well..

Liquidsys · Sep 10, 2009

ElektroFreak said:
I might be misunderstanding your question, but if all you want to do is focus the laser's output to a point then why not just use a lens to focus the laser? Normally fiber optics are used either for data transmission or if you need a laser source to be physically separate from where its output emerges. Fibers will always produce small losses, so you would be better off with a coated lens. The 405-G-1 would work well..

Because it's hard to engrave with a flashlight sized output device. If you use fiber to move the output to a pen style hand held, you've solved that problem.

ElektroFreak · Sep 10, 2009

You'll need to focus the output of the source laser into the fiber (you could just set the aixiz lens such that it accomplishes this). Once you have focused the laser source into the fiber (building whatever assemblies you require) you'll still need to provide output collimation at the end of the fiber.. fiber output is highly divergent. Very possible to do, but might be more trouble than it's worth.. Some innovation required.

There are no ready-made fiber couplers for laser pointers specifically, but you might be able to rig a commercial fiber-coupler to do the job.

Liquidsys · Sep 10, 2009

ElektroFreak said:
You'll need to focus the output of the source laser into the fiber (you could just set the aixiz lens such that it accomplishes this). Once you have focused the laser source into the fiber (building whatever assemblies you require) you'll still need to provide output collimation at the end of the fiber.. fiber output is highly divergent. Very possible to do, but might be more trouble than it's worth.. Some innovation required.

oh interesting... I somehow thought the output would be identical to the thickness of the fiber... I'll look into this and post my results. Thanks!

HIMNL9 · Sep 10, 2009

There is anyway an advantage, in using this system ..... due to the nature and transmission mode of the fiber, the output of the fiber is circular, also if the diode is not (as any diode, emitting oval and ploarized), so, building a little tube with a fiber output and a threaded lens holder for focusing it, it's more easy to obtain a clean, round spot

Just, better use "glass" type fibers, instead "plastic" types, for high power

ElektroFreak · Sep 10, 2009

Liquidsys said:
oh interesting... I somehow thought the output would be identical to the thickness of the fiber... I'll look into this and post my results. Thanks!

Considering that lasers are coherent sources, you might think that that is true, however once you take into account that fibers work by bouncing the light back and forth between the reflective sides of the fiber as it travels along, then it's easy to understand that the light will inevitably emerge from the end at all different angles.

Krutz · Sep 11, 2009

its theoretically possible to couple your laser into a fiber to then have a pen-like engraver. but with less than 500mw input, i doubt you will have fun with that. perhaps 50% output into your engraving spot? the main problem will be the coupling into the fiber.

better idea: much more power input, already coupled into a fiber, all done, and cheaper than doing it yourself. not possible? look here, and be quick ;-)
http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/coherent-ir-fiber-coupled-9w-laser-fap-43195.html

its IR, which should be a plus, since the unavoidable lasergoogles will be for IR only. IR googles will best case be almost clear, where yellow 405nm-blocking googles will be quite distracting.

sure, you will need to build a bit too. but there are several members which run large IR lasers who can help!

keep us updated, not much info about doing serious work with such lasers here yet!

manuel

Laser_Ben · Sep 11, 2009

Krutz said:
better idea: much more power input, already coupled into a fiber, all done, and cheaper than doing it yourself. not possible? look here, and be quick ;-)
http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/coherent-ir-fiber-coupled-9w-laser-fap-43195.html

Not quite, you still need a good bit of work to get that to be going into a fiber and focusing it into a point. The fiber coming out of that will have a numerical aperture of ~0.22 meaning you will have a 30 degree cone out of the fiber. You will need a rather large focusing assembly to get that down to a manageable point.

Krutz said:
its IR, which should be a plus, since the unavoidable lasergoogles will be for IR only. IR googles will best case be almost clear, where yellow 405nm-blocking googles will be quite distracting.

IR goggles are NOT clear for this wavelength, they will have a red tint if they are reflecting ones, or a brown/black tint if they are absorbing ones.

Fiber Optics and Lasers

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