Limiting efficiencies of nonlinear-optical processes in microstructure fibers

The ways of achieving limiting waveguide enhancement of nonlinear-optical processes in microstructure and photonic-crystal fibers are studied. The waveguide enhancement of nonlinear-optical processes is shown to be physically limited because of the competition of diffraction and refractive-index-step radiation confinement. In the case of the limiting refractive-index step values for fused silica fibers, the maximum waveguide enhancement of nonlinear-optical processes is achieved with submicron fiber core diameters. The maximum waveguide enhancement of coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering in a hollow microstructure fiber relative to the regime of tight focusing is shown to scale as λ ²/α^a4 with radiation wavelength λ, the inner fiber radius a, and the magnitude of radiation losses α.