Numerical simulation of surface topography evolution during pulsed CO2 laser ablation of fiber

D-shaped fiber manufacturing by mechanical grinding or chemical acid will inevitably introduce subsurface damages or impurity during processing. Laser ablation has been proven to be a high-efficiency non-contact technique that can achieve a low-defect surface. However, the process of laser processing fiber involves the phase change of the material, which leads to a very complicated evolution process of the surface topography of the fiber. In order to predict the surface topography of fiber during irradiation by pulse laser. Herein, a 3D model has been established to assist the understanding of the thermal mechanism of pulsed CO2 laser ablation and phase change of evaporation during ablation. Furthermore, the temperature characteristics of the fiber surface during the laser irradiation are also analyzed. The simulation results show that from the second pulse, the ablation depth is basically stable, and the texture formed on the fiber surface is related to the processing parameters.