nLIGHT has introduced new optical fibers that have non-circular aspect ratios and geometries in order to increase its passive optical fiber portfolio. The company is a supplier of high-performance specialty optical fibers and high-power semiconductor lasers that can be used in medical, consumer, industrial, and defense applications.
Optical Fiber with Rectangular Core
Rectangular fiber geometries allow laser diode energy to be coupled to a passive fiber with high efficiency and brightness because the contact area of both the laser diode and the fiber can be optimized. The rectangular fibers also allow optical energy to be coupled to planar and slab structures.
Two types of rectangular fiber geometries have been introduced by the company. The first type is the optical fiber with a rectangular core and round-cladding, which has a 250 µm cladding. The product has an aspect ratio of 10:1 and a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.11. The second product is a fiber with a rectangular-core and cladding that has a NA of 0.11 and whose rectangular cores measure either 22µm x 110µm or 22µm x 155µm.