As a fiber development engineer at OFS Specialty Photonics, Dr. Xiaoguang Sun works closely with customers to develop non-standard fiber optic products. “I support the industrial and medical markets. In these areas we work hard to understand specific requirements such as where the fiber is being used. Then we design the fiber and provide a solution to the customer in a timely manner.”

Dr. Sun currently leads a team that is investigating large core fibers for medical laser power delivery in a tight bend. In many medical applications a tight bend radius is often required but transmitting high-power laser light when a fiber is bent can cause damage. Naturally, this is a serious concern in medical applications.

“We have looked into ways to increase the damage threshold of the fiber and thus its reliability in high power laser delivery,” Dr. Sun explains. “Recent work demonstrates how a fiber with a lower bending loss and optimized low-index coating is better suited for laser power delivery under tight bend.”

Dr. Sun received a Ph.D. in Physics with an emphasis on nonlinear and quantum optics from Montana State University, where he also studied electrical engineering. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics with a major in optics from Nankai University in China, and a Master of Electrical Engineering in optical fiber telecommunications from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.

Dr. Sun, who joined OFS in 2001 after graduation from Montana State, is pleased to be part of a team of scientists who are focused on common objectives. “We have many very talented people that work together right from the start understanding a customer’s requirement all the way to providing a complete solution that includes optical fiber, cable, connectors and other components,” he comments. "I receive the most satisfaction from seeing a product that we developed solve a customer's problem."