Fiber Lasers with Martin Seifert

Fiber lasers have become powerful and popular due to their ease of use, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. The critical components of a fiber laser include diode pumps, brag gratings, a coil of fiber, cladding light strippers, connectors, and an electronic board. Technical advances and innovations in fiber lasers were driven by the telecom bust in 2000, which led to the exploration of new applications and the development of larger fiber cores and new dopants. Specialty optical fibers are purpose-specific for applications like medical, space, radiation-resistant, and high-power. Dopants play a crucial role in achieving specific goals in fiber lasers. The coil of fiber in a fiber laser replaces the optics for beam amplification and direction, making the mechanics of the system easier. Manufacturing fiber lasers is more cost-effective and simpler compared to traditional bench-top lasers. Cooling systems, beam delivery cables, and processing heads are essential components of a fiber laser system. The efficiency of a fiber laser affects cooling costs, and higher beam quality reduces the complexity and cost of the beam delivery system. Energy costs and environmental conditions are important considerations for customers using fiber lasers. Back reflection is a challenge in laser systems, but advancements have mitigated its impact. The complexity of processing heads depends on the use case, with welding heads being more sophisticated. Mastering the different components of a fiber laser is crucial for suppliers, but there is also the option to buy components from other vendors and assemble them.