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What is a CLS?
(Cladding Light Stripper)
A Cladding Light Stripper (CLS) is an optical fiber component designed to remove unwanted light propagating in the cladding of a fiber while preserving the light guided in the core. It is particularly important in high-power fiber lasers and amplifiers, where residual pump light or cladding modes can propagate outside the intended core-guided signal.
A CLS helps protect downstream components, reduce unwanted optical background, and improve the overall performance and safety of high-power fiber systems.
HOW a Cladding Light Stripper Works
A Cladding Light Stripper works by creating controlled optical loss for light propagating in the fiber cladding while maintaining low loss for the core-guided signal. This allows unwanted cladding light to be removed without significantly affecting the useful optical signal.
Cladding light propagation
Residual pump light or other unwanted optical power propagates through the fiber cladding alongside the core-guided signal.
Controlled coupling
The CLS modifies the propagation conditions of the cladding modes, typically using a specially designed fiber structure or surrounding absorbing material.
Cladding light removal
The unwanted cladding light is coupled out of the guided cladding modes and absorbed or dissipated, while the core signal continues through the fiber with minimal loss.
