Finite element modal solutions of planar photonic crystal fibers with rectangular air-holes

Modal solutions of planar photonic crystal waveguides with rectangular air-holes are presented by using a rigorous full-vectorial finite element-based approach. The effective indices, mode field profiles, spot-sizes, power confinements, modal hybridness, beat lengths and group velocity dispersions are shown for the fundamental and higher order modes of the quasi-TE and TM polarizations.     

A novel detection scheme for vibration monitoring using optical techniques

An all-fibre interferometer which allows the measurement of the movement (speed and distance) of a vibrating body is presented. An electronic signal processing scheme is used and this is contrasted with the measurement of velocity through an optical processing technique, which is however, more complex and expensive to implement. The overall simplicity of the electronic technique, the low cost of components and the use of an all-fibre arrangement make this an attractive system to implement where the more limited information available is sufficient for monitoring purposes.     

High-temperature sustainability of strong fiber Bragg gratings written into Sb-Ge-codoped photosensitive fiber: decay mechanisms involved during annealing

An antimony--germanium- (Sb--Ge-) codoped fiber specially designed for the fabrication of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) with high temperature sustainability has been developed. The photosensitivity and the high-temperature sustainability of FBGs that have been written into this fiber were tested. The results obtained showed that the FBG written into this fiber has a very high temperature sustainability of 900 degrees C. A decay mechanism that involves cation hopping is presented to explain the observed high temperature sustainability of the grating written into this fiber.     

A generalized 2D FDTD model for photonic crystal fibers with frequency dependent media

A generalized model based on the two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (2D FDTD) method for photonic crystal fibers (PCF) with frequency dependent media is presented. The Maxwell’s curl equations are formulated using flux density and the magnetic field. Auxiliary differential equations are used with complex-conjugate pole-residue pairs which incorporate the material dispersion of the dispersive media. The model is demonstrated to be a unified approach for arbitrary dispersive materials; therefore, it definitely reduces implementation cost when dealing with different frequency-dependent materials.     

Characterization of silicon nanophotonic devices using the finite element method

The Poynting vector and the full-vectorial H and E-field profiles are considered for use in nanoscale silicon waveguides in this article. This paper reveals that the mode profile of a circular silicon nanowire is not circular and also has a strong axial field component. From the analysis, the characteristics of single mode operation and the vector field profiles of both circular and planar silicon nanowires are presented. The modal birefringence of rectangular silicon nanowires and power density in low-index region of a slot-type waveguide and designs of a compact polarization rotator are also presented in this work.     

A curve fitting signal processing scheme for a white-light interferometric system with a synthetic source

A white-light interferometric system, which comprises two Michelson interferometers linked by a 100 μm diameter core multimode step index fibre has been investigated, where a signal processing scheme, using curve fitting, has been introduced to suppress the noise induced in the system. The theoretical resolution of such a sensor with the use of an appropriate curve fitting signal processing scheme has been discussed. The experimental results obtained show the short term repeatability (to three standard deviations) to be better than 5 nm after signal processing, under conditions where the fibre is constantly vibrated in a known and reproducible way.     

Classroom Notes

This note gives a simple‐minded approach to the two‐dimensional boundary layer equations. The pressure is eliminated from the equations of motion and the resulting equation is simplified by assuming that certain derivatives in the direction of the boundary are small compared with those at right angles to it. The simplified equation is then integrated to give a single boundary layer equation which, together with the stress rate of strain law and the continuity equation, is sufficient (in theory at least) to predict the flow.

The boundary layer equation as given does not depend on a particular form for the stress rate of strain law and could possibly form the basis for a non‐Newtonian investigation. The viscous boundary layer is given as a special case.     

Characterization of single-polarization single-mode photonic crystal fiber using full-vectorial finite element method

A modal solution approach based on the powerful, finite element method (FEM) using a full-vectorial H-field formulation has been used to determine the single-mode operation of a photonic crystal fiber (PCF). The modal solution of the fundamental space-filling mode has also been obtained to identify the cutoff conditions of the waveguide modes. The FEM, with the perfectly matched layer boundary condition, has been developed and employed to characterize the leakage loss and the differential loss between the polarized modes of a PCF. The design approach for a single-polarization and single-mode PCF has also been discussed.