Packaging of an optical fiber combiner not immersed in cooling water in high-power laser applications

摘要

A water-cooled package of an optical fiber combiner (OFC) comprising an OFC assembly, a front end cap (EC), a rear EC, and a housing operates for long term reliability. The OFC assembly comprises two submounts and an OFC. Each of the two submounts comprises a U-groove in a lengthwise direction and two flat portions symmetrically connected to the U-groove in a widthwise direction. The two flat portions of each of the two submounts are mechanically coincident in a way to form a cavity between the two U-grooves of the two submounts, in which the OFC is fixed. When the OFC assembly is concentrically mated and sealed with the front EC and the rear EC, cooling water in the water-cooled package is prevented from immersing the OFC. The configurations can minimize varying stress-induced optical degradations and maintain beam quality of a laser light exiting the OFC.