Mechanical reliability of double clad fibers in typical fiber laser deployment conditions

With the rapid acceptance of fiber lasers and amplifiers for various materials processing and defense applications the long term optical and mechanical reliability of the fiber laser, and therefore the components that make up the laser, is of significant interest to the industrial and defense communities. The double clad fiber used in a fiber laser is a key component whose lifetime in typical deployment conditions needs to be understood. The optical reliability of double clad fiber has recently been studied and a predictive model of fiber lifetime has been published. In contrast, a rigorous model for the mechanical reliability of the fiber and an analysis of the variables affecting the lifetime of the fiber in typical deployment conditions has not been studied. This paper uses the COST-218 model which is widely used for analyzing the mechanical lifetime of fiber used in the telecom industry. The factors affecting lifetime are analyzed to make the reader aware of the design choices a laser manufacturer can make, and the information they must seek from fiber suppliers, to ensure excellent lifetime for double clad fiber and consequently for the fiber laser. It is shown that the fiber's stress corrosion susceptibility, its proof strength, the coil diameter and the length of fiber coiled to achieve good beam quality all have important implications on fiber lifetime.