Differences and Selection Between Fiber Lasers and YAG Lasers

2018-10-01

YAG lasers are a type of solid-state laser that has been developed for a long time. They use solid materials as the lasing medium. Nd³⁺:YAG lasers employ optical excitation, meaning regular light is used to excite the laser medium. When the medium is irradiated with this light, it causes a population inversion in the particles within the medium, generating laser oscillation.
Nd:YAG lasers can be classified into pulsed and continuous wave types. Structurally, both types are quite similar, with pulsed lasers being more commonly used. A typical YAG laser system includes components such as a light pump, laser medium, resonant cavity, focusing cavity, water cooling system, and power supply.
The light pump is commonly known as a laser flashlamp, such as xenon lamps, krypton arc lamps, or tungsten-halogen lamps. Among these, the pulsed xenon lamp is the most effective and widely used.
YAG lasers have the absolute advantage of lower initial cost. However, with the rapid development of fiber lasers, this advantage is fading. YAG lasers consume more power and require periodic replacement of lamps and consumables, and are increasingly being replaced by fiber lasers.
Fiber lasers consist of a resonant cavity and a gain medium. Since the gain medium is in the form of an optical fiber, they are called fiber lasers.
Fiber lasers have several distinct advantages:

Flexible beam delivery: Unlike YAG or CO₂ lasers, fiber lasers do not require complex optical pathways with mirrors. Beam alignment is simple—just one fiber cable from the laser source to the processing head. This makes it ideal for integration with automated robotic systems.
The laser source has a compact footprint, saving space and improving portability.
Fiber lasers offer excellent heat dissipation and are well-suited for high-power applications.
The laser beam travels inside the fiber, so it is less affected by external disturbances, resulting in stable output.
Fiber lasers have virtually no consumables and long service life. Although their initial cost is higher than YAG lasers, they significantly reduce maintenance costs in the long run.

Additionally, some systems on the market use YAG laser sources combined with optical fibers for beam transmission. This setup eliminates the need for multiple mirrors and complex optical assemblies.

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