NTT demos its photonic crystal fiber with high-powered lasers

NTT and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) have demonstrated a kW class, high-power single-mode laser transmission over tens to hundreds of meters --
representing a breakthrough for laser processing technology.

The innovation leverages NTT's photonic crystal fibers (PCF) and MHI's high power laser processing technology.

NTT's photonic crystal fiber transmits light by using the confinement effect of air holes. PCF consists of silica glass and multiple air holes, and offers novel properties impossible with conventional optical fiber.

Laser processing requires the transmission of light whose power is more than 10,000 times that of conventional telecommunication light. However, maximizing the optical power and transmission distance encounters the physical limit created by optical nonlinearity. Applications include a range of infrastructure products, including in transportation, manufacturing, and precision cutting.

The achievement will be reported at the 89th lecture of Japan Laser Processing Society, which will be held at Suita Campus, Osaka University at 23-24 May 2018.