JPH1123910A - Method for making laser beam to enter into optical fiber and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the method for making laser beams to enter into optical fiber by which the entering direction of laser beams is aligned and a device necessary for entering laser beams is simplified when laser beams are made to enter into a plurality of optical fibers. SOLUTION: When laser beams LB emitted from a solid-state laser oscillation device 1 is made to enter into a plurality of optical fibers 5A, 5B, 5C, each optical fiber 5A, (5B, 5C) is aligned approximately in the same direction of the outgoing laser beam LB and then shifted in the direction approximately vertical to that of the outgoing laser beam LB for exactly aligning the entering direction to each optical fiber 5A, (5B, 5C) with the outgoing direction of the laser beam LB.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for injecting a laser beam into an optical fiber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, when a laser beam LB output from a solid-state laser oscillation device 101 is branched (incident) into, for example, two optical fibers 103A and 103B, the laser beam LB The reflection mirror 105 (100% reflection) is inserted at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the optical path, and the laser beam LB is bent by 90 degrees and made incident on the optical fiber 103A. Then, the laser light L is applied to the optical fiber 103B.
In order to make B incident, the reflection mirror 105 is moved from the position indicated by the solid line to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line and removed from the optical path of the laser light LB. Note that condenser lenses 107A and 107B are provided between the reflection mirror 105 and the optical fibers 103A and 103B, respectively.

[0003]

When the laser light LB output from the conventional solid-state laser oscillator 101 is divided into two (multi-branch), the incident directions of the laser light LB are not aligned in one direction. . In the above-described conventional example, the angle differs by 90 degrees. Therefore, the number of condenser lenses 1 is equal to the number of branches.
07A and 107B are required.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of irradiating a laser beam into an optical fiber in which, when laser light is incident on a plurality of optical fibers, the direction of incidence of the laser beam is aligned and a device required for the incidence is simplified. It is to provide the device.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for injecting a laser beam into an optical fiber, wherein the laser beam output from the solid-state laser oscillating device is incident on a plurality of optical fibers. Aligning each optical fiber in a direction substantially parallel to the output direction of the laser light, and moving each optical fiber in a direction substantially orthogonal to the output direction of the laser light so that the incident direction of each optical fiber is entirely the laser light. It is characterized by being aligned in the output direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for injecting laser light into an optical fiber, wherein the laser light output from the solid-state laser oscillator is made to enter a plurality of optical fibers. A single condenser lens is provided in front of the condenser lens, and each optical fiber is provided in front of the condenser lens so as to be aligned in substantially the same direction as the output direction of the laser light. Characterized by being provided so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to.

Therefore, the laser light output from the solid-state laser oscillation device passes through one condensing lens to move a selected one of the plurality of optical fibers in a direction orthogonal to the output direction of the laser light. Accordingly, the incident direction of each optical fiber is aligned with the output direction of the laser light, so that the light is accurately and reliably incident on each optical fiber.

Thus, a plurality of optical fibers can be bundled and brought to the emission point. In addition, the connection devices after emitting the optical fiber can be concentrated in the same place. Further, since only one condenser lens is required, the device required for incidence is simplified and the cost is reduced.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a fixed laser oscillator 1
Is provided, and one condensing lens 3 is provided in the optical path of the laser beam LB in front (to the right in FIG. 1) of the solid-state laser oscillation device 1. In front of the condenser lens 3 (to the right in FIG. 1), a plurality of optical fibers 5A, 5B,
5C are provided at appropriate intervals in a direction orthogonal to the output direction of the laser beam LB.

With the above configuration, the laser beam LB output from the solid-state laser oscillation device 1 is incident on, for example, the optical fiber 5A via one condensing lens 3.

When a laser beam is incident on the optical fiber 5B, the entire optical fiber 5A, 5B, 5C is moved as shown by the arrow in FIG.
By aligning the optical fiber 5B in the output direction of the laser light LB, the laser light LB is accurately and reliably incident on the optical fiber 5B as shown in FIG. Similarly, the laser beam LB can be accurately and reliably incident on the optical fiber 5C.

As described above, the optical fibers 5A, 5B, 5
By aligning the incident direction of C with the output direction of the laser beam LB, a plurality of optical fibers 5A, 5A,
5B and 5C can be bundled and provided. Therefore,
The connection devices after emitting the optical fibers 5A, 5B, 5C can be concentrated in the same place.

Since only one condenser lens 3 is required for the plurality of optical fibers 5A, 5B and 5C, the device required for the incidence can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments of the present invention, but can be embodied in other forms by making appropriate changes.

[0016]

As can be understood from the above embodiments of the present invention, according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, a plurality of laser beams output from a solid-state laser oscillation device pass through a single condenser lens. Of the optical fibers, the selected optical fiber is moved in a direction orthogonal to the output direction of the laser light, so that the incident direction of each optical fiber is aligned with the output direction of the laser light. Incident.

Thus, a plurality of optical fibers can be bundled and brought to the emission point. In addition, the connection devices after emitting the optical fiber can be concentrated on the same place. Further, since only one condenser lens is required, the device required for the incidence can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an apparatus for injecting a laser beam into an optical fiber according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a conventional laser light injection device for an optical fiber.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Solid-state laser oscillation device 3 Condensing lens 5A, 5B, 5C Optical fiber LB Laser light

Claims (2)

[Claims] When a laser beam output from a solid-state laser oscillation device is incident on a plurality of optical fibers, the optical fibers are aligned in substantially the same direction as the output direction of the laser beam, and each optical fiber is connected to the laser beam. A method of injecting laser light into an optical fiber, wherein the laser light is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to the output direction so that the incident directions of the optical fibers are all aligned with the output direction of the laser light. 2. A laser beam injection device for injecting laser light output from a solid-state laser oscillation device into a plurality of optical fibers, wherein one condensing lens is provided in front of the fixed laser oscillation device, Each optical fiber is provided in front of the lens so as to be aligned in substantially the same direction as the output direction of the laser light, and each optical fiber is provided so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the output direction of the laser light. A device for injecting a laser beam into an optical fiber, characterized in that: