28 January 2004 East Granby, CT Lightwave -- Specialty optical fiber manufacturer Nufern has begun shipping high-power fiber laser sub-assemblies that utilize its 20/400 large mode area (LMA) fibers. The LMA fiber, in conjunction with optimized fiber Bragg gratings and high-power pump combiner components made from Nufern's passive double-clad (DC) fibers, ensure compatibility throughout the entire sub-assembly, which is essential for highly reliable, long-lifetime, high-power operation.
Following the commercial launch of Nufern's LMA/DC fibers at Photonics West last year, Nufern has worked with key suppliers of components--including high power pumps and signal multiplexers--to develop a family of DC components compatible with Nufern's active fibers.
"These sub-assemblies mark a big step forward in Nufern's evolution from a specialty fiber maker to a provider of fiber sub-assembly solutions for the growing fiber laser market," contends Martin F. Seifert, president and CEO of Nufern. "We are the first commercial entity to design, manufacture, and test the fiber and construct the high-power sub-assembly all under one roof in the U.S. Many of our customers want the fiber components spliced and high-power testing performed on the entire sub-assembly, eliminating the need for them to develop in-house infrastructures or experience," he adds.
Nufern's family of high-power laser sub-assemblies features an LMA 20/400 fiber laser cavity tested to over 100-W CW output power. Nufern's sub-assemblies are available for shipping with various pump combiner configurations, depending on customer requirements.