Recent Progress in All-Fiber Non-Gaussian Optical Beam Shaping Technologies

The rapid development of fiber lasers is being followed by wide ranges of applications in laser processing technologies. One of the key parameters to determine the laser-matter interaction is beam shape and there have been intense research activities on beam shaping using bulk optics. However, fiber optic solutions would take clear advantages over bulk optics especially for fiber laser sources in terms of the beam conversion efficiency, the throughput power, and the compact footprint. In this study, all-fiber optical beam shaping technologies are reviewed and they are categorized as the phase front modification on the fiber facet, the surface plasmonics on fiber, all-fiber Fourier transformation, and multimode interference. Their physical principles, beam shaping capability, and some of the novel applications are explained.