Plume attenuation of laser radiation during high power fiber laser welding

The results of an in-situ plume-laser interaction measurement during welding of mild steel with a 5 kW ytterbium fiber laser are reported. A measurement of the attenuation of probe laser beam passing through the plume has allowed to estimate the plume characteristics like the size of the extinction area and the spatial distribution of the extinction coefficient. The power loss of the fiber laser radiation propagating through the whole plume length was calculated. Together with a measured temporal characteristics of extinction the result indicates a significant decreasing of the laser radiation stability, which can lead to the formation of the macroscopic welding defects.