Hollow-Core Fibres in a Rugged Metal Jacket and a ZnSe Window

As most know CO₂ lasers emit light at 10.6 µm, a wavelength that is outside the transmission range of fused silica and so cannot be transmitted within conventional optical fibres. A practical solution is to use hollow-core fibres.
 
Hollow-core fibre patch cords were developed for fibre optical couplers to be able to transport laser light to a desired spot simply and with low loss.

Hollow-core fibres with inner-cores of Ø 750 µm and Ø 1000 µm are used in the patch cords, which include special SMA connectors that seal both ends of the hollow-core fibres. On the end faces these special SMA connectors include a ZnSe window to prevent dirt, dust and moisture from entering the hollow-core fibre.

These patch cords are jacketed in a robust metal hose with a red PVC overcoat. We offer standard lengths of 1 m, 3 m, and 5 m. Other designs or lengths are available upon request. Our R&D engineers recommend an operating distance of <10 mm on the output side of the fibre: additional optical components, such as focusing lenses, should only be placed within this range in order to produce a reasonably good Gaussian beam profile.