Removing unwanted light from high-power optical systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9482824-B2
Application number	US-201414206731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to removing unabsorbed cladding light in high-power optical systems. Some embodiments comprise a glass block with a refractive index that is greater than a refractive index of a fiber cladding, and a metal housing that is located external to the glass block. The glass block and the metal housing, in combination, removes excess light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a glass block comprising a channel for an optical fiber, the optical fiber having a cladding, the cladding having a refractive index of n 1 , the lass block having a refractive index of n 3 such that n 3 ≧n 1 ;
a thermal compound; and
a metal housing located external to the glass block, the thermal compound being located at a glass-metal interface between the metal housing and the glass block, a heat flux at the thermal compound being less than approximately 200 Watts per square inch (W/in 2 ).

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the metal housing having a thermal conductivity that is greater than approximately 200 Watts per meter-degrees Celsius (W/m-° C.).

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cold plate in contact with the metal housing, the cold plate to remove heat from the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , the cold plate exhibiting a thermal resistance that is less than approximately 0.15 degrees Celsius-square inches per Watt (° C.-in 2 /W).

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , the glass block having a transmittance of τ glass such that τ glass ≧0.999 over a distance of approximately 1 centimeter (cm).

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid to surround the fiber, the fluid having an internal transmittance of τ fluid such that τ fluid ≧0.999 over a distance of approximately 100 micrometers (μm).

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fluid to surround the fiber, the fluid having a refractive index of n 2 such that n 3 ≧n 2 ≧n 1 .

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , the channel in the glass block being a hole bored in the glass block.

Assignees

• Ofs Fitel Llc

Inventors

• Mermelstein Marc

Classifications

• G02B6/4296

  coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources · CPC title

• H01S3/0405

  Conductive cooling, e.g. by heat sinks or thermo-electric elements · CPC title

• H01S3/06704

  Housings; Packages · CPC title

• G02B6/4287

  Optical modules with tapping or launching means through the surface of the waveguide (G02B6/2852, G02B6/4286 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/3814 Primary

  with cooling or heat dissipation means · CPC title