Abstract: An optical fiber device may include an optical waveguide to guide a laser output from a first end of the optical waveguide to a second end of the optical waveguide. The optical fiber device may include a fiber telescope optically coupled to the second end of the optical waveguide to modify the laser output. The fiber telescope may include a first graded-index optical element, a first facet of the first graded-index optical element being fused to the second end of the optical waveguide; and a second graded-index optical element, a first facet of the second graded-index optical element being fused to a second facet of the first graded-index optical element.

Abstract: An optical element may include a plurality of subsurface induced scattering centers formed in the optical element, where the plurality of subsurface induced scattering centers scatter light passing through the optical element. In some implementations, the plurality of subsurface induced scattering centers may form a scattering region in the optical element. Additionally, or alternatively, the plurality of subsurface induced scattering centers may spatially vary transmission of light through the optical element. The optical element may be an optical waveguide, a bulk optic, and/or the like.

Abstract: A laser component includes a pump-signal combiner, which includes a first capillary, a plurality of pump fibers, a second capillary, and a signal fiber. The plurality of pump fibers, the second capillary, and the signal fiber are arranged in a bundle configuration. The bundle configuration is disposed within an internal portion of the first capillary. A cross-section of the bundle configuration includes an outer area, in which the plurality of pump fibers are disposed, and an inner area, in which the second capillary and the signal fiber are disposed. The signal fiber is disposed within an internal portion of the second capillary.

Abstract: In some implementations, a monolithic optical fiber may comprise a tapered core having a first diameter at an input end and a second diameter at an output end. The tapered core may comprise a first tapered region at the input end, a second tapered region at the output end, and a central region having a constant diameter that is larger than the first diameter and the second diameter. The first tapered region expands monotonically from the first diameter to the constant diameter of the central region along a length of the first tapered region, and the second tapered region contracts monotonically from the constant diameter of the central region to the second diameter along a length of the second tapered region. The monolithic optical fiber may be used as a delivery fiber to deliver a laser beam from a fiber laser engine to a process head.

Abstract: In some implementations, a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) system may include one or more pump laser sources, a power amplifier, and a multicore oscillator that includes an input side coupled to the one or more pump laser sources and an output side coupled to the power amplifier. In some implementations, the multicore oscillator may include an active fiber, including an inner cladding, an outer cladding surrounding the inner cladding, and multiple active fiber cores, embedded in the inner cladding, to convert pump light into signal light. In some implementations, the multicore oscillator may include multiple first reflectors that are each configured to operate as a high reflector on the input side of the oscillator, and multiple second reflectors that are each configured to operate as an output coupler on the output side of the oscillator.

Abstract: An optical device may include a fiber to provide a beam. The optical device may include a graded-index element to expand or magnify the beam. An input facet of the graded-index element may be adhered to an output facet of the fiber. The optical device may include an optical transformation element to transform the beam after the beam is expanded or magnified by the graded-index element. An input facet of the optical transformation element may be adhered to an output facet of the graded-index element. The optical transformation element may comprise at least one active optical element or may be non-birefringent such that orthogonal polarizations of the beam do not experience distinct phase transformations.

Abstract: An in-fiber beam scanning system may comprise an input fiber to provide a beam, a feeding fiber comprising an imaging bundle with multiple cores embedded in a first cladding that is surrounded by a second cladding, and an in-fiber beam shifter that comprises a first multibend beam shifter coupled to the input fiber, a graded index fiber following the first multibend beam shifter, and a second multibend beam shifter following the graded index fiber and coupling into the feeding fiber. In some implementations, the first multibend beam shifter is actuated by a first amount and the second multibend beam shifter is actuated by a second amount to shift the beam in two dimensions and deliver the beam into one or more target cores in the imaging bundle.

Abstract: An optical device may include a fiber to provide a beam. The optical device may include a graded-index element to expand or magnify the beam. An input facet of the graded-index element may be adhered to an output facet of the fiber. The optical device may include an optical transformation element to transform the beam after the beam is expanded or magnified by the graded-index element. An input facet of the optical transformation element may be adhered to an output facet of the graded-index element.

Abstract: An in-fiber beam scanning system may comprise an input fiber to provide a beam, a feeding fiber comprising an imaging bundle with multiple cores embedded in a first cladding that is surrounded by a second cladding, and an in-fiber beam shifter that comprises a first multibend beam shifter coupled to the input fiber, a graded index fiber following the first multibend beam shifter, and a second multibend beam shifter following the graded index fiber and coupling into the feeding fiber. In some implementations, the first multibend beam shifter is actuated by a first amount and the second multibend beam shifter is actuated by a second amount to shift the beam in two dimensions and deliver the beam into one or more target cores in the imaging bundle.

Abstract: In some implementations, a fiber optic combiner may comprise an enclosing tube having a geometric shape and multiple optical fibers bundled within the enclosing tube. In some implementations, the multiple fibers comprise at least one optical fiber having a core and a non-circular cladding surrounding the core. The non-circular cladding may cause the multiple optical fibers to have a larger tube fill factor and a lower expected beam parameter product increase factor relative to the multiple optical fibers all having circular claddings.

Abstract: An optical assembly may comprise an input fiber to provide a beam, a process fiber comprising a ring-shaped outer core surrounded by a cladding, and a first beam shifter arranged to receive the beam from the input fiber and to shift the beam spatially to illuminate the ring-shaped outer core of the process fiber. The optical assembly may further comprise a second beam shifter arranged to receive the beam from the first beam shifter and to add skew to the beam that is launched into the ring-shaped outer core of the process fiber.

Abstract: In some implementations, a waveguide may comprise an inner core to receive a first beam and an outer core surrounding the inner core to receive a second beam that is displaced from the first beam by an offset. The outer core may comprise a beam guiding region that rotationally expands over a length of the waveguide into an annulus that concentrically surrounds the inner core or a partial annulus that partially surrounds the inner core. For example, the beam guiding region may be defined by one or more low refractive index features that have a varied orientation and/or a varied shape over the length of the waveguide such that the second beam enters the waveguide as an offset beam and exits from the waveguide as a ring-shaped beam or a partial ring-shaped beam.

Abstract: In some implementations, a monolithic optical fiber may comprise a tapered core having a first diameter at an input end and a second diameter at an output end. The tapered core may comprise a first tapered region at the input end, a second tapered region at the output end, and a central region having a constant diameter that is larger than the first diameter and the second diameter. The first tapered region expands monotonically from the first diameter to the constant diameter of the central region along a length of the first tapered region, and the second tapered region contracts monotonically from the constant diameter of the central region to the second diameter along a length of the second tapered region. The monolithic optical fiber may be used as a delivery fiber to deliver a laser beam from a fiber laser engine to a process head.

Abstract: In some implementations, an optical fiber may include a core and a cladding surrounding the core. The core and the cladding may provide light guidance along the optical fiber in a light propagation direction. The core may have a taper in the light propagation direction in a section of the optical fiber. A diameter of the core may decrease independently of a diameter of the cladding in the section of the optical fiber.

Abstract: An optical fiber may include a core in which core-guided light generated by one or more light sources propagates along a length of the at least one optical fiber, one or more claddings, surrounding the core, to guide cladding-guided light generated by the one or more light sources along the length of the at least one optical fiber, and a reflector structure machined into the at least one optical fiber. The reflector structure may include multiple angled facets arranged at one or more respective angles relative to an axis of the optical fiber to reflect at least a portion of the core-guided light and/or the cladding-guided light passing through the optical fiber.

Abstract: A laser beam delivery system includes an optical beam launcher device and a waveguide assembly. The optical beam launcher device includes an optical relay system that includes a beam splitting optic that is configured to cause a laser beam that is input into the optical beam launcher device to be split into a first laser sub-beam and a second laser sub-beam, cause the first laser sub-beam to transmit to a first region of an input lens of the waveguide assembly, and cause the second laser sub-beam to transmit to a second region of the input lens. The waveguide assembly is configured to transmit the first laser sub-beam and the second laser sub-beam from the input lens to an output lens of the waveguide assembly, wherein the first laser sub-beam and the second laser sub-beam transmit from the waveguide assembly and form an output laser beam.

Abstract: In some implementations, a fiber optic combiner may comprise an enclosing tube having a geometric shape and multiple optical fibers bundled within the enclosing tube. In some implementations, the multiple fibers comprise at least one optical fiber having a core and a non-circular cladding surrounding the core. The non-circular cladding may cause the multiple optical fibers to have a larger tube fill factor and a lower expected beam parameter product increase factor relative to the multiple optical fibers all having circular claddings.

Abstract: An optical fiber device may include an optical waveguide to guide a laser output from a first end of the optical waveguide to a second end of the optical waveguide. The optical fiber device may include a fiber telescope optically coupled to the second end of the optical waveguide to modify the laser output. The fiber telescope may include a first graded-index optical element, a first facet of the first graded-index optical element being fused to the second end of the optical waveguide; and a second graded-index optical element, a first facet of the second graded-index optical element being fused to a second facet of the first graded-index optical element.

Abstract: An optical fiber includes a core configured to transmit laser light and a cladding that surrounds the core. In some implementations, an outer surface region of the cladding is tapered or comprises a plurality of notches. The outer surface region of the cladding is configured to cause an aiming beam that falls incident upon the outer surface region of the cladding at a first incidence angle to fall incident upon an outer surface region of the core at a second incidence angle to allow the aiming beam to couple into the core.

Abstract: In some implementations, a waveguide may comprise an inner core to receive a first beam and an outer core surrounding the inner core to receive a second beam that is displaced from the first beam by an offset. The outer core may comprise a beam guiding region that rotationally expands over a length of the waveguide into an annulus that concentrically surrounds the inner core or a partial annulus that partially surrounds the inner core. For example, the beam guiding region may be defined by one or more low refractive index features that have a varied orientation and/or a varied shape over the length of the waveguide such that the second beam enters the waveguide as an offset beam and exits from the waveguide as a ring-shaped beam or a partial ring-shaped beam.