Study of optical fiber damage under tight bend with high optical power at 2140nm

摘要

Silica optical fibers are being increasingly used for delivering laser power in various medical applications. Damage to the optical fiber caused by the high laser power level and tight bend of the fiber in these applications poses a serious concern. In this study, we examined the damage of step index multimode fibers transmitting Ho:YAG laser power up to 100 W at wavelength of 2140 nm when bent to a diameter down to 5 mm. The performance of different types of fibers was compared and other relevant issues were discussed.