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EP-4740274-A1 - AN INTERCONNECTING DEVICE AND A LASER SYSTEM COMPRISING THE INTERCONNECTING DEVICE

EP4740274A1EP 4740274 A1EP4740274 A1EP 4740274A1EP-4740274-A1

Abstract

An interconnecting device for interconnecting a laser device and an application device is disclosed. The interconnecting device comprises at least an optical fiber, an optical switch, and an output unit for outputting a laser beam to the application device. The interconnecting device is configured to receive a laser beam from the laser device and deliver the laser beam to the application device. The optical switch is arranged after the optical fiber and configured to modulate the amplitude of the laser beam. A laser system comprising a laser device and the interconnecting device is further disclosed. A drift of the laser beam is compensated for prior to being received in the interconnecting device.

Inventors

  • SEIFERT, ALBERT
  • THOMSEN, Carsten Lilleholt
  • POBERAJ, GORAZD

Assignees

  • NKT Photonics A/S

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240624

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An interconnecting device for interconnecting a laser device and an application device, the interconnecting device comprising at least a hollow core fiber, an optical switch, and an output unit, the interconnecting device being configured to receive a laser beam from the laser device and deliver the laser beam to the application device, wherein the optical switch being arranged after the hollow core fiber and configured to modulate the amplitude of the laser beam, the output unit being configured to output the laser beam to the application device, wherein the hollow core fiber is connected to a fiber-coupling unit, the fibercoupling unit arranged before the hollow core fiber and configured to output the laser beam to the hollow core fiber, the fiber-coupling unit being configured to compensate for beam drift of the laser beam, and wherein the fiber-coupling unit comprises an active alignment system configured to compensate for the beam drift of the laser beam.
  2. 2. The interconnecting device of claim 1 , wherein the optical switch is configured to control delivery of the laser beam to the application device.
  3. 3. The interconnecting device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical switch is configured to allow the laser beam, or a part thereof, to be transmitted into the application device.
  4. 4. The interconnecting device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical switch is configured to block the laser beam from being transmitted into the application device.
  5. 5. The interconnecting device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the optical switch is configured to receive an external input to thereby control delivery of the laser beam to the application device.
  6. 6. The interconnecting device of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a post -compressing unit configured to temporally compress pulses of the laser beam, the post-compressing unit being arranged after the optical switch.
  7. 7. The interconnecting device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the output unit comprises a beam-collimator configured to collimate the laser beam and deliver it to the application device.
  8. 8. The interconnecting device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the active alignment system comprises alignment sensors and beam steering means, the alignment sensors being configured to detect properties of the laser beam and provide input to the beam steering means, the beam steering means being configured to steer the laser beam in accordance with the detected properties such that the laser beam is aligned with an input of the fiber coupling-unit.
  9. 9. The interconnecting device of claim 8, wherein the fiber-coupling unit comprises a fiber coupler configured to connect with the hollow core fiber.
  10. 10. The interconnecting device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the output unit comprises a power sensor configured to monitor a power output from the optical fiber and received by the output unit, the power sensor being further configured to provide a feedback signal for optimization of the coupling of the laser beam into the optical fiber.
  11. 11. The interconnecting device of claims 8 and 10, wherein the power sensor is configured to recalibrate the alignment sensors of the fiber-coupling unit.
  12. 12. The interconnecting device of any claim 10 or 11 , wherein the output unit comprises a first reference sensor and the fiber-coupling unit comprises a second reference sensor, wherein the first reference sensor and the second reference sensors are configured to communicate and exchange power measurements and to further compare the exchanged measurements and based on the comparison of the exchanged measurements act as a safety mechanism to protect the optical fiber and the application device.
  13. 13. The interconnecting device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the fibercoupling unit is located as an internal part of the interconnection device.
  14. 14. The interconnecting device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the fibercoupling unit is located external to the interconnection device.
  15. 15. The interconnecting device of any of the preceding claims, wherein the interconnection device is a non-integral part of the laser device.
  16. 16. A laser system comprising a laser device and an interconnecting device according to claims 1 -15, wherein a drift of the laser beam is compensated for in the interconnecting device.
  17. 17. A laser system comprising a laser device and an interconnecting device according to any of the claims 1 -15, wherein a drift of the laser beam is compensated for prior to being received in the interconnecting device.
  18. 18. The laser system of claim 16 or 17, wherein the laser device comprises a pulsed laser source configured to generate the laser beam.
  19. 19. The laser system of claim 16 or 17, wherein the laser device comprises a fibercoupling unit configured to output the laser beam to the interconnecting device, wherein the pulsed laser source is arranged to deliver the laser beam to the fiber-coupling unit through free space.
  20. 20. The laser system of any of claims 16-19, wherein the laser device further comprises a compressor configured to temporally compress pulses of the laser beam.

Description

AN INTERCONNECTING DEVICE AND A LASER SYSTEM COMPRISING THE INTERCONNECTING DEVICE TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to the technical field of laser systems and devices interconnecting the laser systems with application devices. BACKGROUND Laser systems, and in particular pulsed laser systems, offer numerous advantages in various fields such as material processing, medical applications such as ophthalmology, and scientific research. However, these systems face drift issues of the laser beam, which can lead to undesirable effects on the laser output and limit their performance. Drift in pulsed lasers is primarily caused by variations in operating conditions, such as temperature, power supply stability, nonlinear effects in the laser cavity, operational modes, etc. To overcome and mitigate these drift issues, new techniques and technologies are needed. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a device and a system to address the problem of laser beam drift in laser systems. The described solutions aim to improve the stability and accuracy of laser output, reduce downtime and maintenance, and enhance the overall performance of pulsed laser systems. The object is satisfied by an interconnecting device in accordance with claim 1 as well as by a system in accordance with claim 16 or claim 17. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims. In a first aspect, an interconnecting device for interconnecting a laser device and an application device is disclosed. The interconnecting device comprises at least an optical fiber, an optical switch, and an output unit. The interconnecting device is configured to receive a laser beam from the laser device and deliver the laser beam to the application device. The optical fiber is arranged at an input of the interconnecting device while the optical switch is arranged after the optical fiber. The optical switch is configured to modulate the amplitude of the laser beam. The output unit is configured to output the laser beam to the application device. By providing an interconnecting device comprising a fiber at its input, a simple, reliable, and user-friendly coupling to the laser device is ensured. Furthermore, by providing an optical switch in the interconnecting device, it is ensured that a user of an application device can control the delivery of the laser beam to the application device while the laser beam arrives at the switch as a continuous and reliable laser signal. Finally, by providing an interconnecting device with a switch after the laser device and right before the application device, it is ensured that laser drifts are compensated for prior to the optical switch such that optical switch does not influence the laser beam. In other words, laser beam drifts are compensated for prior to the critical fiber-coupling interface (i.e. prior to the optical fiber) and the switch, and the optical switch does not influence the laser beam position and angle at the critical fiber-coupling interface. An interconnecting device for interconnecting a laser device and an application device is to be understood as a device with an optical input and an optical output configured to be conveniently attached by a user of the application device to both the laser device and the application device. The laser device is configured to deliver the laser beam to the interconnecting device. The laser device may be configured to deliver the pulsed laser beam. The laser beam is generated by a laser source and typically drifts within the laser device. The laser device or the interconnection device may be configured to compensate for the drift of the laser beam. The laser device may comprise an amplifier to thereby deliver an amplified laser beam with high total average power of at least 1 KW. The application device is to be understood as a device which delivers the laser beam to the user and can be designed in accordance to user’s needs and/or particular application. In some examples, the application device may be a surgical delivery device, such as a surgical device for eye surgery. The application device may be referred to as a delivery device or a processing head. When the laser beam is received at the application device, it should be stable and reliable and should have minimal variations of its parameters so that the user can perform a desired application with desired precision. This may be achieved by arranging the interconnecting device in front of the application device. The optical fiber may be placed at the input of the interconnecting device. The use of the optical fiber in the interconnecting device may allow for delivery of the laser beam from the laser device to the application device while at the same time ensuring a reliable coupling of the laser beam from the laser device. Any drift of the laser beam may be compensated for before the laser beam is coupled to the fiber. In some embodiments, the optical fiber is a