PRODUCTION OF OPTICAL FIBER FOR INFRARED LIGHT

摘要

PURPOSE:To greatly improve laser output by forming a fiber without extruding a worked surface layer of an optical crystal. CONSTITUTION:A preform crystal is finished to a circular columnar shape by using a lathe at the size of a container 4 as far as possible. This crystal is set in the container 4 and a pressure is exerted to a punch rod 7 to extrude the crystal while the temp. is raised by a heater 5 to 200-270 deg.C, by which the crystal is made into the fiber. The threshold transmission capacity of the fiber increases when the spacing between the container 4 and the punch rod 7 is of the value between 50mum-1mm if the inside surface of, for example, the container 4 is assumed to be 10mm. The polycrystalline IR fiber 2 produced in such a manner is capable of transmitting the light power of CO2 laser light. The laser output is greatly improved when this fiber is applied to a laser beam processing machine or laser knife.