Near-field fiber tip to handle high input power more than 150 mW

Abstract

A high-power near-field fiber tip is proposed and demonstrated. This high-power tip can handle an optical power of greater than 150 mW injected into the fiber core, higher than any previous tip. The tip has a unique, thick, heat-conducting metal layer deposited by an electroplating process. The subwavelength aperture of the tip is fabricated by the controlled lapping of the end face with in situ optical monitoring. We also demonstrate using this tip to record on phase change and photoresist media. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)03343-X].