Fiber-optic combiner is a kind of optical fiber connector, which is able to couple optical energy that emitted from transmit-fiber into receive-fiber to the maximum by fiber fusion technology and minimum the impact on system. It is an important component in fiber laser system that directly decides if laser power is high or low, quality of light beam and safe-work of lasers.
There are two kinds of fiber combiners, the one is pump combiner, the other is power combiner.
1) In terms of a pump combiner(shown as figure 1), it could help rise pump power by combining multi pump light into the one fiber.
2) The second is power combiner( or single-mode-fiber optic combiner, shown as figure 2), it aims to rise output power by combining single-mode fiber into one fiber.
Figure 1 Pump combiner
Figure 2 Single-mode-fiber optic combiner
According to the structure, fiber-optic combiner can be classified as two kinds, the one is Nx1 fiber-optic combiner(shown as figure 3) that doesn’t contain signal fiber, the other is (N+1)x1 fiber-optic combiner(shown as figure 4) that contains signal fiber. During the process of manufacturing these combiners, fibers have to be tightly and symmetrically surrounded around signal fiber that is in the middle for signal input.
As for Nx1 fiber-optic combiner, it contains not only single-mode-fiber optic combiner but also pump combiner. If N fibers are single-mode or large-mode area fiber, it can connect with N lasers to rise its output power, in this case, it acts as single-mode-fiber optic combiner. If N fiber are multi-mode fiber, it can connect with N pump sources to rise pump power, which acts as pump combiner.
Figure 3 Nx1 fiber-optic combiner
As for (N+1)x1 fiber-optic combiner, it is pump combiner and usually applied in amplification system. Single-mode fiber in the middle is signal fiber for transmitting signal, the fiber around it is N multi-mode fiber for transmitting pump light source. This kind of combiner is usually used for MOPA.
Figure 4 (N+1)x1 fiber-optic combiner
How to make a single-mode-fiber optic combiner:
There are three parts of a single-mode-fiber optic combiner: input fiber, TFB(taper fused fiber bundle), and output fiber.
In order to connect taper fused fiber bundle well with output fiber, the sharp of cross section of fiber bundle should be round, and tightly arranged to form into a regular hexagon. In the process, the first step is to make input fibers into a bundle, then make the bundle to taper fused fiber bundle, and cut the waist part to connect with output fiber. Finally, assemble high thermal conductivity materials as its body, such as copper and aluminum, to ensure stable operation and good heat-dissipation. If it’s necessary, water-cooling structure will be designed on the package.
For more laser products, please have a look in our website.
https://www.erbiumtechnology.com/eye-safer-laser/
https://www.erbiumtechnology.com/1570nm-opo-laser/
https://www.erbiumtechnology.com/1064nm-yag-laser/
https://www.erbiumtechnology.com/fiber-coupled-laser/
E-mail: devin@erbiumtechnology.com
WhatsApp: +86-18113047438
Fax: +86-2887897578
Add: No.23, Chaoyang road, Xihe street, Longquanyi distrcit, Chengdu,610107, China.
Post time: Jun-02-2022