A fiber laser is a special type of solid-state laser in a category of its own. “A fiber laser is a laser in which the active gain medium is an optical fiber doped with rare-earth elements such as erbium, ytterbium, neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium, thulium, and holmium.”
Optical fiber light-guide properties make this laser type different from others. The laser beam is smaller than other laser types, making it more precise. Fiber lasers are also well-known for their small size, good electrical efficiency, low maintenance, and low operating costs.
Fiber lasers are used in a wide range of applications, including materials processing (laser cleaning, texturizing, cutting, welding, and marking), medicine, and directed-energy weapons. This article discusses the advantages of fiber lasers for laser marking, while this article explores the differences between a fiber laser and a variable pulse (master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA)) laser.
Today, fiber lasers are the most common lasers used for laser marking and engraving. They have a long-lasting, high-quality effect on all metals and almost all types of plastic. With this system type, we can also guarantee absolute black markings, without glare, needed primarily in medicine (for safety reasons) and in home appliances and jewelry (for aesthetics).
Another type of laser with a distinctive pulse duration is the Picosecond laser. The FlyPico can make high-contrast absolute black markings without glare. This is very useful in medicine (for safety) as well as in home appliances and jewelry (for aesthetics).