Mid-IR soliton compression in silicon optical fibers and fiber tapers

Numerical simulations are used to investigate soliton compression in silicon core optical fibers at 2.3 μm in the mid-infrared waveguide regime. Compression in both standard silicon fibers and fiber tapers is compared to establish the relative compression ratios for a range of input pulse conditions. The results show that tapered fibers can be used to obtain higher levels of compression for moderate soliton orders and thus lower input powers.     

Polycrystalline silicon optical fibers with atomically smooth surfaces

We investigate the surface roughness of polycrystalline silicon core optical fibers fabricated using a high-pressure chemical deposition technique. By measuring the optical transmission of two fibers with different core sizes, we will show that scattering from the core-cladding interface has a negligible effect on the losses. A Zemetrics ZeScope three-dimensional optical profiler has been used to directly measure the surface of the core material, confirming a roughness of only ~0.1 nm. The ability to fabricate low-loss polysilicon optical fibers with ultrasmooth cores scalable to submicrometer dimensions should establish their use in a range of nonlinear optical applications.     

Guiding Properties of a Tapered Photonic Crystal Fiber Compared with Those of a Tapered Single-Mode Fiber

We have fabricated tapered photonic crystal fibers using a fusion splicer and experimentally observed the near-field mode distribution and the beam divergence of it. We have also compared characteristics of the tapered photonic crystal fiber with those of a tapered standard single-mode fiber. Unlike a tapered standard single-mode fiber, the mode field profile of a tapered photonic crystal fiber shows a good confinement of its field within the core region. The numerical apertures of tapered photonic crystal fibers are increased as the diameter of the fiber is decreased.     

Guiding Properties of a Tapered Photonic Crystal Fiber Compared with Those of a Tapered Single-Mode Fiber

We have fabricated tapered photonic crystal fibers using a fusion splicer and experimentally observed the near-field mode distribution and the beam divergence of it. We have also compared characteristics of the tapered photonic crystal fiber with those of a tapered standard single-mode fiber. Unlike a tapered standard single-mode fiber, the mode field profile of a tapered photonic crystal fiber shows a good confinement of its field within the core region. The numerical apertures of tapered photonic crystal fibers are increased as the diameter of the fiber is decreased.     

Tapered microstructured fibers for efficient coupling to optical waveguides: a numerical study

We report the possibility of using tapered microstructured fibers to improve the coupling efficiency from a standard single-mode fiber to a photonic crystal waveguide. The tapered microstructured fiber allows for the reduction of the mode mismatch between the output of the standard fiber and the input of the waveguide while maintaining single-mode guidance, which results in an enhanced coupling efficiency. Numerical simulations are conducted in order to optimize the cross section of the microstructured fiber as well as the taper profile. An improvement of more than 4 dB is obtained compared to non-tapered fibers. For further improvement, an elliptical-core tapered microstructured fiber is analyzed. The effect of misalignment between the tapered microstructured fiber and the waveguide is also studied.     

Leakage of the fundamental mode in photonic crystal fiber tapers

We report detailed measurements of the optical properties of tapered photonic crystal fibers (PCFs). We observe a striking long-wavelength loss as the fiber diameter is reduced, despite the minimal airhole collapse along the taper. We associate this loss with a transition of the fundamental core mode as the fiber dimensions contract: At wavelengths shorter than this transition wavelength, the core mode is strongly confined in the fiber microstructure, whereas at longer wavelengths the mode expands beyond the microstructure and couples out to higher-order modes. These experimental results are discussed in the context of the so-called fundamental mode cutoff described by Kuhlmey et al. [Opt. Express 10, 1285 (2002)], which apply to PCFs with a finite microstructure.     

Mode field diameter preserving fiber tapers

An approach for preserving the mode field diameter (MFD) in fiber tapers is demonstrated. The approach utilizes concentric dual-core fibers, which couple light from an inner core to an outer core through a taper. Fibers with a 6 μm MFD feedthrough and a 15 μm polarization maintaining feedthrough are demonstrated experimentally. Simulations of the MFD in the tapered dual-core fibers are also presented.     

Coherence properties of supercontinuum spectra generated in photonic crystal and tapered optical fibers

Numerical simulations have been used in studies of the temporal and spectral features of supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal and tapered optical fibers. In particular, an ensemble average over multiple simulations performed with random quantum noise on the input pulse allows the coherence of the supercontinuum to be quantified in terms of the dependence of the degree of first-order coherence on the wavelength. The coherence is shown to depend strongly on the input pulse's duration and wavelength, and optimal conditions for the generation of coherent supercontinua are discussed.     

Theoretical study of stimulated Raman scattering in long tapered fiber amplifier

A model that is based on the propagation equation and coupled mode theory is introduced in order to describe stimulated Raman scattering(SRS) effects in long tapered fiber amplifiers.Based on the presented model,fiber amplifiers with uniform and long tapered fibers are theoretically and numerically simulated.It can be drawn from the results of our simulations that the long tapered fiber has the advantage in suppressing SRS when applied in fiber laser amplifiers.Our results can provide guidance in the designing of system configuration in long tapered-fiber-based fiber laser systems.     

Design of low-loss tapered waveguide by applying photonic-crystal-based microlenses in telescopic structure

In this paper, the design of low-loss tapered waveguides by applying photonic-crystal-based microlenses is presented. The microlenses are realized by using two-dimensional photonic crystal (PhC) structures with a hexagonal periodic lattice of air-holes. In order to make the PhC structures behave as homogeneous and isotropic microlenses, the PhC structures are designed to operate in the low-frequency domain with light wavelength sufficiently larger than the PhC lattice constant. The effective indices of the PhC are calculated and the structures are properly arranged in microlenslike shapes. By monolithically integrating the effective microlenses in the tapered area between the two optical waveguides with different core dimensions, the wavefront of the eigenmode can be coupled from the larger core to the smaller core effectively and also the radiation loss in the tapered area between the two connected optical waveguides can be effectively suppressed. The results show that the PhC-based microlens in the telescopic structure can serve as an optical element in the tapered waveguide with the advantages of low loss, high efficiency and compactness.     

Study on tapered crossed subwavelength gratings by Fourier modal method

Fourier modal method incorporating staircase approximation is used to study tapered crossed subwavelength gratings in this paper. Three intuitive formulations of eigenvalue functions originating from the prototype are presented, and their convergences are compared through numerical calculation. One of them is found to be suitable in modeling the diffraction efficiency of the circular tapered crossed subwavelength gratings without high absorption, and staircase approximation is further proven valid for non-highly-absorptive tapered gratings. This approach is used to simulate the ``moth-eye' antireflection surface on silicon, and the numerical result agrees well with the experimental one.     

集成光学条波导阵列与单模光纤阵列的联接

本文报告了一种新的集成光学条波导阵列与镶嵌在硅V槽中的单模光纤阵列耦合联接方法的设计考虑,导出了确定光纤正确位置及V型槽的几何尺寸的若干计算公式.并讨论了光纤与波导几何尺寸与耦合效率的关系.指出了这是实现单模光纤阵列与条波导阵列的固定联接的有效方法,它简化了波导与光纤的对准程序,即由五维调整简化为平面的一维调整.可实现多个波导和多个光纤的同时对准与固定.最大限度地利用了有效重叠面积,从而提高了光纤与条波导的耦合效率.一组典型的数据是单模光纤(芯径10μm)对单模波导(10μm×5μm)的耦合效率可达55%,而同样尺寸的波导对光纤的最大耦会效率可达86%.     

锥形光纤间耦合特性的分析与检测

将通信光纤的末端拉制成锥形，利用光信号在光纤锥形区特有的传输和耦合特性，实现了光纤的耦合、连接和分束。用耦合模理论分析了锥形光纤间的传输和耦合性质，给出了光信号两锥形光纤间的耦合与两锥形光纤的距离和锥形区重叠长度等实验结果。     

锥形光纤间的耦合特性

将通信光纤的末端拉制成锥形,利用光信号在光纤锥形区特有的传输和耦合特性,实现了光纤的耦合、连接和分束.用耦合模理论分析了锥形光纤间的传输和耦合性质,给出了光信号两锥形光纤间的耦合与两锥形光纤的距离和锥形区重叠长度等实验结果.     

Asymmetrical plasmon reflections in tapered graphene ribbons with wrinkle edges

Asymmetrical graphene plasmon reflection patterns are found in infrared near-field images of tapered graphene ribbons epitaxially grown on silicon carbon substrates. Comparing experimental data with numerical simulations, the asymmetry of these patterns is attributed to reflection of plasmons by wrinkled edges naturally grown in the graphene. These graphene wrinkles are additional plasmon reflectors with varying optical conductivity, which act as nanometer scale plasmonic modulators and thus have potential applications in photoelectric information detectors, transmitters, and modulators.     

Curvature investigation in tapered fibers and its application to sensing and mode conversion

Non-adiabatic tapered fibers are basic photonic components used in a wide range of applications. Here we investigate a way to increase their utility through the controllable bending of one of their tapered sections. The experiments carried out explain, for the first time, the mechanics of this approach showing how these tapers can be used to build more sensitive sensors. Their use as highly efficient mode converters is also discussed.     

Fabrication and Evaluation of Silica-based Optical Fiber Probes by Chemical Etching Method

A sensor probe with a microstructure, which is used for near-field scanning optical microscopes, plays an important role in the resolution and detection sensitivity of the microscope system. In this study, we devised a system for sharpening optical fibers, by which we could fabricate tapered tips of silica-based optical fibers reproducibly in a desired shape by controlling the solution temperature, etching time, and etching depth when applying chemical etching techniques using hydrofluoric acid. Furthermore, we evaluated the diameter of the core tip of an optical fiber by measuring the near-field pattern and comparing it with the Gaussian beam pattern of a non-edge-etched optical fiber. A strong correlation between the ratio of the 1/e²-value width of the beam profile of the near-field pattern to that of the Gaussian beam and the diameter of the extreme tip of the core became apparent. © 2005 The Optical Society of Japan     

Soliton fission and supercontinuum generation in silicon waveguides

We show through numerical simulations that silicon waveguides can be used to create a supercontinuum extending over 400 nm by launching femtosecond pulses as higher-order solitons. The physical process behind continuum generation is related to soliton fission, self-phase modulation, and generation of Cherenkov radiation. In contrast with optical fibers, stimulated Raman scattering plays little role. As low-energy (approximately 1 pJ) pulses and short waveguides (<1 cm) are sufficient for continuum generation, the proposed scheme should prove useful for practical applications.     

Fabrication method for ultra-long optical micro/nano-fibers

Nonlinear optical interactions can be enhanced dramatically by tight light-confinement and long interaction-length. Optical fiber tapers with micro/nano-thickness waists considerably increase light-matter interactions in or near their waists. Here, we propose and demonstrate a novel tapering method of fabricating uniform, low-loss, and ultra-long micro/nano fibers. The technique comprises three steps for conventional flame-brushing and pulling, recalibration, and one-directional pulling. Using the proposed method, two strands of tapered fibers are fabricated, having 0.82-μm/1.6-μm diameters, 220-mm/500-mm uniform lengths with <55-nm/66-nm diameter variances, and high transmittances of 90.2%/91.5%. A figure of merit indicating the nonlinear-optic efficiency is defined and used to compare the results obtained in this study with those for tapered fibers in references. The proposed tapering method will be very useful for the fabrication of tapered fiber devices exploiting nonlinear optic effects, including Brillouin scattering, Raman amplification, and other third-order nonlinearities for supercontinuum generation.