Hollow-waveguide delivery systems for high-power, industrial CO_2 lasers

✍ Scribed by Nubling, Ricky K. ;Harrington, James A.

• Book ID: 115344831
• Publisher: The Optical Society
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 340 KB
• Volume: 35
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1559-128X
• DOI: 10.1364/AO.35.000372

✦ Synopsis

Hollow-sapphire and metal-dielectric-coated hollow-glass waveguides have been used to deliver CO 2 laser power for industrial laser applications. The transmission, bending loss, and output-beam properties of these waveguides are described. The bore sizes of the hollow-sapphire waveguides were 1070 and 790 µm, and the hollow-glass waveguide had a bore of 700 µm. The waveguides ranged in length from 1.1 to 1.5 m. The sapphire waveguides were bent to 90°, and the hollow-glass waveguides were bent into a full 360°loop. We delivered a maximum of 1.8 kW through the 1070-µm-bore sapphire waveguide and 1.0 kW through the hollow-glass waveguide. All the hollow waveguides incorporated a water jacket to prevent overheating.