Optical fiber having cladding scattering centers

US8724863B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TRUMPF Laser GmbH + Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Malte Kumkar · Weimar, DE
• Rudolf Huber · Spaichingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 25, 2011
• Grant date: May 13, 2014
• Expiry date: Sep 21, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/14
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optical fiber is designed to transmit high-power laser radiation. The optical fiber includes a fiber core, and an inner fiber cladding surrounding the fiber core, where the inner fiber cladding is configured to carry the laser radiation in the fiber core. The optical fiber also includes a first outer fiber cladding surrounding the inner fiber cladding. The first outer fiber cladding has a capillary-free longitudinal section and has a smaller refractive index than the refractive index of the inner fiber cladding. The optical fiber includes an outermost fiber cladding surrounding the first outer fiber cladding. The outermost fiber cladding has scattering centers that surround the capillary-free longitudinal section, where the scattering centers scatter laser radiation emerging from the inner fiber cladding through the first outer fiber cladding along the capillary-free section.