Analysis and Simulation of Adiabatic Bend Transitions in Optical Fibers

A low-loss criterion for bend transitions in optical fibers is proposed. An optical fiber can be tightly bent with low loss to be adiabatic for the fundamental mode, provided that an approximate upper bound on the rate of change of bend curvature for a given bend curvature is satistied. Two typical adiabatic bend transition paths, the optimum profile and linear protile, are analyzed and studied numerically. A realizable adiabatic transition with an Archimedean spiral profile is introduced for low bend loss in tightly bent optical fibers. Design of the transitions is based on modeling of the propagation and coupling characteristics of the core and cladding modes, which clearly illustrate the physical processes involved.     

Measured sensitivity of arc-induced long-period grating sensors in photonic crystal fibre

Reported are experimental results from investigations of the sensing properties of long-period gratings (LPGs) recorded in two different geometries of photonic crystal fibre (PCF): a large-mode area PCF and an endlessly single mode PCF. The LPGs have been characterised for their sensitivity to temperature, bending, surrounding index and strain. The LPGs in both fibres have been found to have negligible temperature sensitivity whilst exhibiting useful strain sensitivities. Strong directional bend sensitivity is shown by one PCF whilst the other shows good non-directional bend sensitivity. The fibres exhibit differing sensitivities to surrounding refractive index.     

Highly Birefringent Honeycomb Photonic Bandgap Fibre

A new structure of highly birefringent honeycomb photonic bandgap fibres （PBGFs）, including an elliptical air hole in its solid core, is proposed and analysed by using full vectorial plane wave expansion method. From the numerical results it is confirmed that the proposed PBGF. has birefringence of the order of 10^-3. Moreover, there are two single-polarization single-mode ranges at varying normalized wavelength, in one of which only the slowaxis mode exists, and in the other only the fast-axis mode exists, which has not been achieved in index-guiding photonic crystal fibres so far.     

Fabrication of low OH loss holey fibers with varying air hole sizes and their optical properties

We experimentally investigate a flexible fabrication technique for low OH and transmission losses holey fibers with a Ge-doped core and air holes in a silica cladding region. Versatile holey fibers of different size, pitch, and shape of air holes were achieved by controlling the temperature and heating time of the holey fiber preform. In addition, we suppress the OH loss of less than ∼0.323 dB/km at 1383 nm. After fabricating holey fibers, we measure their optical properties including cut-off wavelength, mode field diameter, splicing loss, dispersion, bending loss, and polarization dependent loss based on the size of air holes. The total transmission loss was measured to be ∼0.226 dB/km at 1550 nm by improving the fabrication process. After fabricating optical patch cord based on holey fibers, we measured the long-term stability of the fabricated holey fiber by using the temperature cycling technique for 24 and obtained low power fluctuation of 0.2 dB. We achieve the high quality holey fiber with a low bending loss of ∼0.04 dB/turn under a bending radius of 2.5 mm at 1550 nm. We also obtain a tunable band rejection filter with a number of bending turns.     

Properties of All-Solid Square-Lattice Photonic Bandgap Fibres

Properties of all-solid square-lattice photonic bandgap fibres are studied for the first time to the best of our knowledge. Using the plane-wave expansion method and finite element method, we investigate the mode, effective area, confinement loss and dispersion of such fibres. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed effective mode area of all-solid square-lattice photonic bandgap fibres is 1.25 times larger than triangular-lattice ones and the confinement loss of the fibres is no more than 0.1 dB/m within the bandgap.     

Comparative study of large-mode holey and conventional fibers

Little information exists regarding how large-mode holey fibers compare, in practical terms, with their conventional counterparts. We present what is to our knowledge the first experimental study of mode area and bend loss for a range of large-mode holey and conventional fibers. It is demonstrated here that large-mode holey fibers exhibit mode areas and bending losses that are comparable to those of conventional fibers at 1.55mu . However, the novel wavelength dependence of the numerical aperture in a holey fiber offers a significant advantage for broadband and short-wavelength applications in which single-mode operation is required.     

Influence of the cladding layer field of fiber on beam parameters

Beam parameters, including mode-field radius, divergence half-angle and beam propagation factor are studied and relations among them are derived under the condition of paraxial approximation. Several formulas of the beam parameters for end diffraction-limited from the fundamental mode of fiber are given based on the normalized standing wave parameter, normalized evanescent wave parameter and radii of core layer and circular aperture. Moreover, influence of change of the near-field on beam parameters is researched and the results show that the cladding layer field has determinant effect and cannot be neglect. These conclusions may provide theoretical foundation for further researching the beam parameters.     

基于全矢量模式匹配法的三维弯曲波导本征模式计算

采用精确、严格的全矢量模式匹配法，计算了三维脊型弯曲波导和条形弯曲波导的本征模式，分析了模式折射率和辐射损耗随弯曲半径的变化关系.计算结果与已报道的有限差分法的结果符合很好.对文献中已报道但没有深入分析的现象给出了合理的解释.半径为50和12 μm的条形波导的计算结果表明：当波导的弯曲半径减小时，发生在分界面处的TE-TM模耦合会显著增强，这将导致弯曲波导中的模式不再是传统意义上的准TE模和准TM模，而是混合模.随着半径的减小，混合模的横向分量之间的差异会减小，当两个横向分量达到近似相等的强度时，波导的偏振相关性将会大大减小. 关键词： 导波光学 全矢量模式匹配法 微环谐振腔 光波导理论     

Analytic approach to dielectric optical bent slab waveguides

A rigorous classical analytic frequency domain model of confined optical wave propagation along 2D bent slab waveguides and curved dielectric interfaces is investigated, based on a piecewise ansatz for bend mode profiles in terms of Bessel and Hankel functions. This approach provides a clear picture of the behaviour of bend modes, concerning their decay for large radial arguments or effects of varying bend radius. Fast and accurate routines are required to evaluate Bessel functions with large complex orders and large arguments. Our implementation enabled detailed studies of bent waveguide properties, including higher order bend modes and whispering gallery modes, their interference patterns, and issues related to bend mode normalization and orthogonality properties.     

An examination of the effect of polarization on the radiation losses of bent optical fibres

It has long been recognized that the bending losses in weakly guiding optical fibres are independent of the polarization for large bend radius. Here, we show this fact using the volume equivalent current method. The procedure is then applied to a helically bent fibre and it is shown that the radiation from the helical fibre is also independent of the polarization as long as the fibre is weakly guiding.     

Tapered photonic crystal fibres: properties, characterisation and applications

Microstructured optical fibres (MOFs) have attracted much interest in recent times, due to their unique waveguiding properties that are vastly different from those of conventional step-index fibres. Tapering of these MOFs promises to significantly extend and enhance their capabilities. In this paper, we review the fabrication and characterisation techniques of these fibre tapers, and explore their fundamental waveguiding properties and potential applications. We fabricate photonic crystal fibre tapers without collapsing the air-holes, and confirm this with a non-invasive probing technique that enables the characterisation of the internal microstructure along the taper. We then describe the fundamental property of such tapers associated with the leakage of the core mode that leads to long-wavelength loss, influencing the operational bandwidth of these tapers. We also revisit the waveguiding properties in another form of tapered MOF photonic wires, which transition through waveguiding regimes associated with how strongly the mode is isolated from the external environment. We explore these regimes as a potential basis for evanescent field sensing applications, in which we can take advantage of air-hole collapse as an extra dimension to these photonic wires.     

新型抗弯曲大模场面积光子晶体光纤

研制出一种新型抗弯曲大模场面积石英光子晶体光纤. 利用光子晶体光纤结构设计的灵活性, 通过规划缺陷的位置及空气孔的尺寸, 实现了大模场面积单模及低弯曲损耗特性.应用建立的实际光子晶体光纤特性分析模型, 研究了研制光纤的模式特性和弯曲特性, 在波长1064 nm处, 平直状态下光纤的模场面积可以达到2812 μm², 基模限制损耗为0.00024 dB/m, 高阶模限制损耗高于1.248 dB/m. 基模和高阶模之间的高传输损耗差, 保证了在获得大模场面积的同时实现单模传输. 弯曲半径和弯曲方向角所带来弯曲损耗变化的研究结果显示, 即使在弯曲半径小到5 cm时, 弯曲损耗也在10^-3 dB/m量级以下, 而且在弯曲半径为30 cm时光纤可承受的弯曲方向角范围扩展至-60°–60°. 研制的光纤具有良好的低弯曲损耗特性, 可有效解决非对称结构所带来的光纤弯曲特性对弯曲方向角敏感的问题. 该光纤在高功率光纤激光器、放大器及高功率传输等技术领域具有重要的应用价值. 关键词： 光子晶体光纤 大模场面积 低弯曲损耗 弯曲方向角     

Fibre Bragg Gratings Inscribed in Homemade Microstructured Fibres

Fibre Bragg gratings （FBGs） are inscribed in homemade microstructured fibres by the standard phase mask method. Enhanced couplings between the forward fundamental mode and backward cladding modes are obtained. The mode coupling and spectral characteristics are investigated experimentally. The cladding mode resonances can be affected by filling active materials into the air holes, which will be useful for the implementation of tunable photonic devices in optical fibre communication and sensing systems.     

Laue弯晶聚焦特性的光线追迹研究

由于可有效降低高热负载的影响, Laue弯晶是插入件辐射高通量密度硬X射线(30 keV以上)聚焦、 准直和单色化的最有效的光学元件.研究其聚焦光学特性,对发展高性能、高稳定的Laue弯晶单色器具有重要意义. 采用自行发展的光线追迹软件较为系统地研究了Laue弯晶的聚焦特性, 分析了入射光性质及弯晶参数对聚焦光斑、焦距、发散度等主要光学参数的影响. 结果表明,衍射能量越高,聚焦光斑越小,并趋于稳定值;弯曲半径越小,聚焦光斑越小, 并在其达到一阈值时得到聚焦光斑的极小值,之后随着弯曲半径的变小,由于像差等因素的影响, 聚焦光斑反而变大;晶体越厚,聚焦光斑越大,呈线性正比关系.对于衍射光发散度, 其随着衍射能量的增大而变小,并趋于稳定值;其与晶体曲率呈线性正比关系. 同时通过研究得到弯晶各参数的合理选择范围.     

Influence of mode distortion on the transverse mode competition in large-mode-area amplifiers

In large mode area fiber amplifier, it is difficult to avoid the bend induced mode distortion. With the existence of mode distortion taken into account, a previous transverse mode competition model has been improved. Based on this model and the finite element difference-beam propagation method, the behaviors of bent mode competition are demonstrated and compared with the straight mode competition where the mode distortion is neglected, the comparison and quantitative results show that serious mode distortion can change the appearance of transverse mode competition in bent fiber amplifiers and even drastically degrade the amplifier performance.     

Interaction of low-frequency axisymmetric ultrasonic guided waves with bends in pipes of arbitrary bend angle and general bend radius

The use of ultrasonic guided waves for the inspection of pipes with elbow and U-type bends has received much attention in recent years, but studies for more general bend angles which may also occur commonly, for example in cross-country pipes, are limited. Here, we address this topic considering a general bend angle φ, a more general mean bend radius R in terms of the wavelength of the mode studied and pipe thickness b. We use 3D Finite Element (FE) simulation to understand the propagation of fundamental axisymmetric L(0, 2) mode across bends of different angles φ. The effect of the ratio of the mean bend radius to the wavelength of the mode studied, on the transmission and reflection of incident wave is also considered. The studies show that as the bend angle is reduced, a progressively larger extent of mode-conversion affects the transmission and velocity characteristics of the L(0, 2) mode. However the overall message on the potential of guided waves for inspection and monitoring of bent pipes remains positive, as bends seem to impact mode transmission only to the extent of 20% even at low bend angles. The conclusions seem to be valid for different typical pipe thicknesses b and bend radii. The modeling approach is validated by experiments and discussed in light of physics of guided waves.     

Calculation of optimal fiber radius and whispering-gallery mode spectra for a fiber-coupled microsphere

Coupled-mode theory is used to numerically calculate the coupling coefficients between the modes of a tapered fiber and those of a fused-silica microsphere. In the visible and near-infrared wavelength ranges, typical tapered fibers are multimode. To maximize the photon tunneling from the fundamental fiber mode to the microsphere whispering-gallery mode and to minimize the tunneling from the sphere to higher-order fiber modes, the optimal fiber radius is found to be somewhat smaller than that for phase matching. Also calculated are whispering-gallery mode spectra that take into account the eccentricity of the microsphere and the fact that in an experiment the tapered fiber is not necessarily perfectly aligned with the equatorial plane of the microsphere.     

Design of Broadband Single Fundamental Mode Hollow Core Bragg Fibre

The condition of the single fundamental mode （HE11） transmission in hollow core Bragg fibres is investigated theoretically by the transfer matrix method. The influences of core size and cladding parameters on the single HE11 mode bandwidth are analysed, showing that the maximal bandwidth is more sensitive to the core size than the cladding. The numerical results show that sufficiently broad bandwidth of single HE11 mode transmission can be achieved by proper fibre design. A simple and fast method based on improved hollow metal waveguide model is proposed to optimize fibre structure parameters for the maximal single HE11 mode bandwidth.     

Fibre Optical Parametric Amplification in Defect Bragg Fibres with Zero Dispersion Slow Light Effect

Nonlinearity enhancement by slow light effect and strong light confinement in defect Bragg fibres is demonstrated and anMysed in applications of fibre optical parametric amplifiers. Broadband low group velocity and zero dispersion as well as the strong light confinement by band gap enhances the nonlinear coefficient up to more than one order than the conventional high nonlinear fibres. Moreover, the zero dispersion wavelength of coupled core mode can be designed arbitrarily, under which the phase-matching bandwidth of the nonlinear process can be extended.     

新型三角芯抗弯曲大模场面积光子晶体光纤

提出了一种新型三角芯抗弯曲大模场面积光子晶体光纤.该结构采用单一尺寸的圆形空气孔, 降低了制作难度.在波长1.064 μm处, 在平直状态和弯曲半径为30 cm时, 模场面积分别为1386 μm²和1153 μm², 弯曲带来的模场面积减少量仅为16.85%. 当弯曲半径为30 cm时, 基模的损耗为0.087 dB/m, 二阶模的损耗大于1.5 dB/m, 大的损耗差有效保证了光纤单模运转.此外, 弯曲半径30 cm时, 弯曲方向角扩展至±180°, 光纤弯曲不再受弯曲方向的限制. 所设计的光纤结构具有大模场面积、小的模场面积减少量、 低的弯曲损耗以及低的弯曲方向敏感度等优势, 为小型化、集成化高功率激光传输及光纤激光器和放大器的研究奠定了基础. 关键词： 光子晶体光纤 大模场面积 抗弯曲 弯曲方向角