Day: September 30, 2025

Rogue waves in fiber lasers

Rogue waves are considered to be rare, extreme amplitude, localized wave packets, which are the subject of great interest now in various areas of physics. Fiber laser systems provide abundant nonlinear dynamics that are perfect for an examination of optical RW formation. Fiber lasers have made great research progress on rogue waves.

Fiber lasers as nonlinear optical systems

Fiber laser systems act as a dissipative nonlinear optical system, and they are widely used for the study of optical solitons. Ultrafast fiber lasers allow examining soliton interactions, molecules, rains, noise-like pulses, and soliton explosions, which are closely linked to the RW generation.

Dissipative rogue waves

These laser systems offer a proper platform for the production of dissipative RWs. It is possible to measure the dynamics of RWs within each round trip in a fiber laser. These waves in fiber laser systems are not new and have already been tested; the study of dissipative RWs in laser systems continues to develop quickly.

Classification of rogue waves

Rogue waves in fiber lasers are possible to be categorized by laser beam duration: slow, fast, and ultrafast RWs. Various mechanisms take part in their generation. The measurement of ultrafast RWs is highly challenging when applying the standard technique. Also, types of dissipative RWs emitted by fiber laser systems include RWs created by chaotic structures, dark three-sister RWs, and the laser beam pulse waves produced as a result of the multiple-pulse interaction.

Vortex laser beams and applications

Fiber lasers enable the generation of vortex laser beams that offer promising applications in quantum optics, optical micromanipulation, rotation detection, WDM (mode-division multiplexing) systems, and nonlinear fiber optics. These laser beams find applications in modulating elements, containing the mode-selective couplers, long-period fiber gratings, and microstructured fiber facets. There are the mode-locked vortex beams, which is why the optical RWs based on the vortex laser beams in the fiber laser systems remain popular research topics, favoring the further development of nonlinear optics.

Temporal cavity solitons in fiber lasers

Laser systems without the mode locker installed in the cavity allow emitting ultrashort laser beam pulses, for instance, the temporal cavity solitons. “When the dispersion and nonlinearity are balanced in the fiber lasers, TCSs are formed, which can transmit indefinitely and keep their shape in the fiber cavity”. Thus, fiber laser systems are perfect for observation of the generation of optical RWs as well as to investigate their behavior because rogue waves present a threat to the safety of seagoing personnel and ships.

New fiber laser tube cutting machine from Germany

A manufacturer of cutting machines based on fiber lasers from Germany has developed a laser system tube cutting machine. The company claims that the fiber laser system is considered to be “a cost-effective choice even at low to medium capacity utilization, suitable for companies that are entering this sector and those seeking to expand production capacity.”

Applications and processing capabilities

The fiber laser cutting machine provides the versatile processing of tubes and profiles; this fiber laser technology can replace standard tube processing steps like sawing, drilling, and milling. The applications of new laser systems include profiles, round tubes, and flat steel bars. Moreover, it allows processing L and U profiles. The 2 kW solid-state fiber laser provides high-speed cutting of mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and nonferrous metals, for instance, copper and brass.

Technical specifications and automation

The fiber laser system enables cutting tubes with diameters of up to 152 millimeters and profiles with an outer circumference of up to 170 millimeters. The laser technology used in the new cutting machine performs automatic adaptation to the tube dimensions without the necessity of manual adjustment. The fiber laser also sets up other crucial settings automatically. It is enough to touch only one button on the laser system to provide the reliable cutting of lower-quality materials.

Performance and production benefits

Fiber laser cutting machine enables cutting tubes weighing up to 18.5 kg/m with material thicknesses of up to 8mm. Also, the automated loading system makes the laser system machine a cost-effective solution for high-volume production. There is an opportunity for users to make changes to the fiber laser system’s production schedule or control it through an app, making the process easier.

Rapid growth of fiber laser systems

In the laser system world, few devices seem to have gained popularity among users as quickly as early fiber laser systems. Fiber lasers are considered to be a significant breakthrough compared to opportunities provided by earlier laser technologies, such as the first pumped diode systems, or established methodologies, for instance, the CO2 laser system.

What makes up a fiber laser system

For engineers and scientists, a fiber laser system is a device in which “an active amplification medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth elements such as erbium, ytterbium, neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium, thulium, and holmium”.

CO2 lasers compared to fiber lasers

CO2 laser is a laser system that uses carbon dioxide, a colorless gas with a density of about 60 percent higher than that of dry air. It allows the use of an infrared laser beam with wavelength bands centered at 9.4 and 10.6 micrometers. This laser beam level is suitable for cutting a wide variety of materials. CO2 laser systems are also useful in medical applications such as soft tissue surgery or dermatology.

How fiber lasers differ

In contrast, the fiber laser replaces the gas with a conventional optical fiber made of quartz glass. This fiber is then “doped” when a little bit of one of the rare earth elements is added to it. The atoms that make up the laser beam medium are then placed in this rare-earth-doped fiber. When photons are emitted, they are enclosed within this doped optical fiber core.

Key advantages of fiber lasers

Stability

The idea of limiting photons in a rare-earth-doped fiber gives fiber laser systems a major advantage over their competitors: stability. Since the fiber laser generates its beam inside the core, it does not require sophisticated or sensitive optical equipment to deliver the laser beam.
On the other hand, a conventional laser system uses an optical fiber to move the laser beam or a mirror to reflect it. Either approach works, but both require extremely precise alignment. This makes standard laser systems sensitive to movement and shock. And as soon as everything fails, the specialist must fix everything. The fiber laser does not have this sensitivity. It is stable. The fiber laser systems can handle bumps, vibrations, and general dissonance on an assembly line.

Beam quality

There is another advantage, which is that the laser beam is limited by a core of doped optical fiber: it keeps the beam straight and small. This, in turn, allows for reducing the need for focusing. As a rule, in laser systems, the smaller the point created by the laser beam, the more efficient the cutting is.

Energy efficiency

Another advantage is that fiber lasers are energy efficient. The fiber laser systems can convert almost 100 percent of the input signal they receive into the laser beam, thereby limiting the amount of energy converted to thermal energy. This means that the optical fiber tends to remain protected from heat damage or destruction. All this creates a reliable laser system that requires almost no maintenance.

What is a fiber laser?

A fiber-optic or fiber laser is a laser system where the active amplification medium is represented by an optical fiber. It is doped with rare-earth elements such as erbium, ytterbium, neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium, thulium, and holmium. They are related to doped fiber optic amplifiers, which provide laser beam light amplification without generation.

Nonlinear effects in fiber lasers

Fiber nonlinearities in laser systems, such as stimulated Raman scattering or four-wave mixing, can also provide amplification and thus serve as an amplifying medium for the fiber laser.

Distinctive features of fiber laser systems

The distinctive advantages of fiber laser systems over other types of lasers are the following: laser beam light is generated and delivered using an inherently flexible medium, which makes it easier to deliver it to the focus point and target.

Industrial advantages

This can be important for laser system cutting, welding, and joining metals and polymers. Another advantage is the high-power laser beam output.

Efficient cooling and compact design

Fiber lasers can have active regions several kilometers long and can provide very high optical gain. These laser systems can maintain kilowatt levels of continuous output power due to the high fiber optic surface-area-to-volume ratio, which provides efficient cooling.
The waveguide properties of the fiber reduce or eliminate thermal distortion of the optical path, usually creating a diffraction-limited, high-quality laser beam. Fiber lasers are compact compared to solid-state or gas laser systems of comparable laser beam power since the fiber can be bent and coiled, except for thicker rod structures, to save space. They have a lower cost.

Performance and reliability

Fiber lasers are reliable and have high temperature and vibrational stability, as well as long service life. The peak laser beam output power and short pulses make the marking and engraving perfectly clear and readable. The ability to increase the power of the fiber laser systems and perfect laser beam quality produces smooth cutting edges with high roughness and fast cutting speed of metals.

Fiber lasers in material processing

Laser technology for processing, which was born about three decades ago, is currently experiencing the peak of its development and popularity. Modern fiber laser technology is rapidly being introduced into industrial production and the advertising business, often replacing traditional methods of material processing.

Applications in industry

The focused laser beam of adjustable power turned out to be an ideal “working tool” for the creators of new equipment. The fiber laser for cutting and marking, welding and surfacing, as a material processing tool, works quickly and does not wear out; it is economical, highly accurate, and its impact is easy to control and manage.

Principle of fiber laser processing

The principle of laser system processing is the effect of a focused laser beam on the surface of the processed product. The result of this action is a change in the structure and color of the material, its melting, and evaporation of the surface layers of the material or coatings. Fiber laser cutting, as a precision tool, enables the creation of items with reduced material use and eliminates the need for further processing of the cut edges.