Multihundred‐watt CO laser power delivery through chalcogenide glass fibers

Power transmission characteristics for the 5‐μm band CO laser through chalcogenide glass fibers have been measured. With 1000‐μm core diameter, 1‐m‐long, As‐S and Ge‐As‐S glass fibers, the maximum transmitted powers have reached as high as 226 and 180 W, respectively. By applying antireflection coatings to the fibers, drastic increases in transmission efficiency have been demonstrated.