Ronii C Mehl

8483533, Jul 9, 2013

Apr 9, 2009

12/421509

Ronii Chris Mehl - Brush Prairie WA, US

nLight Photonics Corporation - Vancouver WA

G02B 6/02
G02B 6/028
G02B 6/036

385124, 385127

Optical illuminators comprise optical fibers having a gradient index core and a cladding selected so that a refractive index difference at a core/cladding interface provides a numerical aperture less than, greater than, or equal to a numerical aperture of the gradient index core. In some examples, a maximum refractive index difference in the gradient index core is substantially the same as, less than, or greater than the refractive index difference at the core/cladding interface. Illuminators based on such fibers are configured to produce optical beams with a laser diode or diode array, and to provide stable, approximately Gaussian optical fluxes at a fiber output surface.

20120262938, Oct 18, 2012

Dec 28, 2011

13/339045

R. Kirk Price - Battle Ground WA, US
Scott Karlsen - Battle Ground WA, US
Rob Martinsen - West Linn OR, US
Ronii C. Mehl - Caldwell ID, US

F21V 8/00
H01S 3/00

362553, 362551

A laser system can include an optical fiber having a spatial filter defined as a core extension coupled to or integrally formed in an optical fiber so as to reduce the coupling of optical radiation into a fiber cladding. Such a core extension can be formed by removing a length of the cladding from the optical fiber, leaving a portion of the core exposed at the end of the fiber. Alternatively, a core extension can be formed by coupling an end cap to the core of the optical fiber at a fiber end surface. By selecting a length of the core extension based on a beam divergence and beam diameter, radiation coupling into the fiber core can be reduced.