Fibre lasers: the new wave in material processing

In the last few years, fibre lasers have established themselves as the preferred laser source in many applications. The combination of small size, maintenance-free operation, thermal and electrical efficiency combined with outstanding (diffraction-limited) beam quality have made the fibre laser an attractive alternative to more established technologies. In fact, in some processes the fiber laser is the enabling technology. Unique among high power lasers, the fiber laser is monolithic, the light being entirely confined to the fiber core. This gives immunity to thermal distortion of the beam, almost instant startup, very high stability and protection from the environment. Maintenance is minimal, since no realignment or cleaning of components is necessary