Feasibility study on optical fibers for CO2 laser power transmission

Laser power transmission experiments through silver halide discs and fibers have been performed. In these experiments cw, long pulsed and short pulsed (TEA) CO2 lasers, with power levels of 20 - 40 W or pulsed laser with energies of hundreds of mJ per pulse, have been used. The mechanical and optical properties of unclad fibers made of various alloys AgClxBr1-x with 0 < x < 1 were investigated. Compounds with x approximately equals .5 proved most suitable. They have optical losses of about .2 dB/m at (lambda) equals 10.6 micrometers and good mechanical properties.