Advantages and Risks of Using a Fiber Laser

Advantages and Risks of Using a Fiber Laser

A fiber laser is a type of laser that uses a network of optical fiber strands to transfer light waves straight into the material being cut. This gives it a higher precision and heat concentration, which can lead to cleaner cuts and stronger connections between materials. In addition, it can be used to create 3D structures. It is also known for its ability to cut through many types of metals without burning or tearing them. However, despite the advantages of using a fiber laser, it is important to remember that this type of machine can pose certain risks to employees who use it. This is why it is crucial for employers to provide employees with the right safety equipment and training when using the fiber laser.

Lasers are classified by their maximum permissible exposure (MPE), which is defined as the power or energy density of a beam that has a negligible probability of creating damage under specific conditions. Fiber lasers can have different MPEs depending on the operating wavelength and pulse duration. The MPE of a fiber laser is measured at the skin or cornea of a person, and is usually between 0.2 and 3 W/cm2.

To make a fiber laser work, it must be doped with a rare earth ion like ytterbium to provide it with high levels of gain. The ion gets excited when exposed to the laser's diode pump lasers, and the amount of gain is proportional to the intensity of these laser beams.

The ytterbium-doped fiber is then coupled to a mirror made of multiple reflective materials. This makes the mirror more reflective than one that is composed of a single material. The resulting fiber amplifier has high output power and low noise, which makes it suitable for laser applications.

Fiber lasers are often used in metal fabrication, but they have other industrial uses as well. For example, they can be used to cut concrete for earthquake-proofing projects. This is because conventional percussion drilling can crack and weaken the concrete, but a fiber laser can cut through it without fracturing it.

Another advantage of fiber lasers is their high beam quality. This allows them to focus tightly on a small area, making them suitable for a wide range of applications. A fiber laser can also deliver high pulse power with a short pulse duration, which is crucial for industrial applications.

Finally, fiber lasers can be used as multi-wavelength optical sources by combining them with photonic crystals or gratings. This can result in multi-wavelength supercontinuum generation or spectral hole-burning, and it can be applied to a variety of optical systems. For example, a fiber laser can be combined with a photonic crystal that has an extremely small core to produce strong nonlinear effects for ultrafast applications. Or it can be combined with a grating to make an efficient and low-noise distributed feedback laser.