Side glow fibre advice - And UK supplier?

[Galvonaut]

Hi all

I have a little job next month and would like to throw some nice magenta laser light down 50m of side glow laser fibre.

I understand that many of these fibres recommend lighting from both ends with lengths over 20m. Is this true when using lasers and if so, will it kill the lasers?

I am also looking for UK suppliers (ideally) of fibre as I only have a month to engineer and experiment with mounting the fibre onto a laser.

Thanks

Keith

[Photonbeam]

Can't help with a UK source, but in the US I bought it from Precision Projection Systems. Not even sure if they're still in business. If I couldn't pump from both ends, I had special connectors with a tiny mirror that reflected whatever light that came out the end back into the fiber. These fibers are large enough in diameter that I doubt the back reflection would harm your laser, but don't hold me to that.

[Galvonaut]

Can't help with a UK source, but in the US I bought it from Precision Projection Systems. Not even sure if they're still in business. If I couldn't pump from both ends, I had special connectors with a tiny mirror that reflected whatever light that came out the end back into the fiber. These fibers are large enough in diameter that I doubt the back reflection would harm your laser, but don't hold me to that.

That makes sense. I guess if the light reaching the end is dim then reflecting it back isn't going to do a lot of damage (he hopes).

Thanks

[mixedgas]

I second what Photonbeam said, and you can always make a cat's eye retroreflector with a lens and mirror for large diameter fiber. Once you have mode scrambling you wont have much chance of damage from backreflection. (assumes CW laser, at moderate powers, up to watts)

I've seen ten watts into small ~ 1.1 mm plastic fiber, it can take a beating with a proper launch lens. Not too tight a spot in the launcher though. If the fiber end slightly melts the first time you launch, LET IT MELT!. It self lenses when it does this, which often leads to better throughput. (Matt P, wherever you are, thank you for teaching me that trick)

Steve