Characteristic of microstructured optical fibers: an analytical approach

We have recently developed a simple analytical model to study propagation characteristics of microstructured optical fibers (MOFs). We have used this model to study splice losses between two MOFs and also between an MOF and a conventional fiber. We have also presented here the results on evolution of fundamental mode from near-field to far-field, the effective mode area and the beam divergence using this model. Comparisons with available experimental and modeling results have also been included.     

Fusion splicing small-core photonic crystal fibers and single-mode fibers by controlled air hole collapse

A method based on controlled air hole collapse for low-loss fusion splicing small-core photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) and single-mode fibers (SMFs) was demonstrated. A taper rig was used to control air hole collapse accurately to enlarge the MFDs of PCFs which was then spliced with SMFs using a fusion splicer. An optimum mode field match at the interface of PCF-SMF was achieved and a low-loss with 0.64 dB was obtained from 3.57 dB for a PCF with 4 μm MFD and a SMF with 10.4 μm MFD experimentally.     

Endlessly single-mode operation of highly nonlinear photonic crystal fibers by controlled hole collapse

We report a higher-order mode filter in highly nonlinear photonic crystal fibers (HNPCFs) made by a conventional fiber taper rig based on controlled hole collapse. The air holes of the HNPCFs will become smaller due to the surface stress when they are heated on the taper rig incorporating a simple burner configuration. So the HNPCFs' configuration parameters can be easily changed by controlling the heating time. As is well known, if the relative hole size d/Λ of PCF is less than or equal to 0.4, it will become an endlessly single mode fiber. So we can control the heating time to satisfy the criterion of endlessly single mode operation, the heated section will be a higher-mode filter in HNPCFs. The optical loss of the higher-order mode filter is very low for the fundamental mode, typically less than 0.1 dB.     

A new analytical model for the field of microstructured optical fibers

We present an analytical model for the mode of index-guided microstructured fibers. This model exhibits essential symmetry features of the field unlike the commonly used equivalent step-index (ESI) model. The model is shown to be more accurate than the equivalent step-index (ESI) model in predicting the effective-indices of the mode. Results for the modal effective index, near and far fields and dispersion have been included.     

Twisted clad microstructured optical fibers: revisited

The paper discusses confinements corresponding to low-order sustained hybrid modes in twisted clad microstructured optical fiber with twists in the form of conducting sheath helix structure introduced at the core–clad interface and inclined at certain angles. Dispersion relations for such fiber structures are deduced under strict electromagnetic boundary conditions. Varying the angle of pitch (of the introduced conducting sheath helix), investigations in respect of the dependence of power confinements due to the existing low-order hybrid modes have been carried out. The obtained results indicate the usefulness of such microstructured fibers for attenuation or amplification of power in the guide.     

Resonance and scattering in microstructured optical fibers

We present an investigation into the mechanism for guidance of microstructured optical fibers consisting of high-refractive-index cylinders embedded in a low-index background. A new guidance regime is identified in which the fibers' confinement losses depend strongly on wavelength and the positions of the loss minima and maxima depend on the scattering properties of individual cylinders and only weakly on their position and number. We point out similarities between these results and those reported recently for two-dimensional antiresonant reflecting waveguides.     

Symmetry and degeneracy in microstructured optical fibers

The symmetry of an optical waveguide determines its modal degeneracies. A fiber with rotational symmetry of order higher than 2 has modes that either are nondegenerate and support the complete fiber symmetry or are twofold degenerate pairs of lower symmetry. The latter case applies to the fundamental modes of perfect microstructured optical fibers, guaranteeing that such fibers are not birefringent. We explore two numerical methods and demonstrate their agreement with these symmetry constraints.     

Nonlinear propagation and continuum generation in microstructured optical fibers

A theoretical investigation of the propagation of femtosecond pulses under conditions similar to those of recent experiments in which a white-light continuum was generated in a microstructured fiber is presented. It is found that higher-order dispersion primarily determines the shape and width of the generated spectrum and that the fine spectral substructure exhibits extreme sensitivity to the initial pulse energy.     

Fabrication and study of microstructured optical fibers with elliptical holes

We report the fabrication of what are believed to be the first microstructured optical fibers with uniformly oriented elliptical holes. A high degree of hole ellipticity is achieved with a simple technique that relies on hole deformation during fiber draw. Both form and stress-optic birefringence are characterized over a broad wavelength range. These measurements are in excellent agreement with numerical modeling and demonstrate a birefringence as high as 1.0 x 10(-4) at a wavelength of 850 nm.     

Optical characterization of quantum dots entrained in microstructured optical fibers

We present a study of the basic optical properties of colloidal CdSe/ZnS core/shell quantum dots entrained in a microstructured optical fiber. Quantum dots suspended in heptane were pulled into the holes surrounding the solid core of a microstructured optical fiber of the holey fiber class via capillary action and are found to remain in the fiber. In this experiment, a laser coupled into the fiber photoexcited quantum dots along the length of the fiber. Quantum dot emission was observed to couple into the fiber core and propagate along the fiber. To investigate the use of such a system in fiber-based light generation or amplification, a second laser overlapping the low-energy portion of the quantum dot emission was simultaneously coupled into the fiber. We observed apparent amplification of this light when photoexciting the quantum dots well above their bandedge.     

Reflectometric measurement of birefringence rotation in single-mode optical fibers

We present a novel reflectometric technique for the measurement of orientation and modulus of the linear birefringence vector in single-mode optical fibers. The technique provides information also on circular birefringence, although this component, if present, appears as a rotation of the linear birefringence. A detailed theoretical analysis is reported and validated by experimental results.     

Operation of Brillouin dynamic grating in single-mode optical fibers

The first (to our knowledge) observation of Brillouin dynamic grating in conventional single-mode fibers is reported, and the characterization is demonstrated with respect to the external parameters for the grating generation. When a 100 m single-mode fiber is used, a reflectance of 8% with a spectral bandwidth as low as 2.4 MHz is achieved, which is less than 10% of ordinary Brillouin gain bandwidth.     

Mode analysis of realistic optical waveguide structures and microstructured holey fibers by modal field evolution

In this article, we describe a useful technique for calculating modes of practical optical waveguides having two-dimensional arbitrary transverse refractive index profile. The method uses a finite difference platform for evaluating Helmholtz's equation in scalar and semivectorial forms through a field evolution algorithm. The method is straightforward, easy to handle and does not involve any complex analysis or matrix formulation. We tested the accuracy of our analysis approach by applying it on a large number of realistic waveguide problems having known results or results available in the literature. The formulation has facilitated us to study the modal properties, viz., field distribution, birefringence, dispersion and mode effective area, of a variety of practical two-dimensional structures namely, planar structure, coupler, semiconductor optical waveguides, optical fibers and arbitrary profile microstructured fibers which are uniquely important in photonics and guided-wave devices. The algorithm will therefore be very useful in designing and studying any arbitrary-structure waveguides, and to explore new geometry and properties.     

Method of integral equations in the theory of microstructured optical fibers

A method for designing microstructured optical fibers that is based on exact integral equations for the transverse components of the magnetic field of the mode is proposed. A solution to the vector waveguide problem for fibers with a finite number of circular capillaries in the round cavity of the cladding can be refined successively. Quartz fibers with hexagonal capillary rings are also studied.     

Dispersion management with microstructured optical fibers: ultraflattened chromatic dispersion with low losses

We numerically demonstrate ultraflattened chromatic dispersion with low losses in microstructured optical fibers (MOFs). We propose using two different MOF structures to get this result. Both structures are based on a subset of a triangular array of cylindrical air holes; the cross sections of these inclusions are circular, and a missing hole in the fiber's middle forms the core. In this MOF structure the diameters of the inclusions increase with distance from the fiber axis until the diameters reach a maximum. With this new design and with three different hole diameters, it requires only seven rings to reach the 0.2-dB/km level at lambda = 1.55 microm with a variation amplitude of dispersion below 3.0 x 10(-2) ps nm(-1) km(-1) of lambda = 1.5-1.6 microm. With the usual MOF (made from holes of identical diameter), we show that at least 18 hole rings are required for losses to decrease to < 1 dB/km at lambda = 1.55 microm.     

Coupling semiconductor lasers into single-mode optical fibers by use of tips grown by photopolymerization

We show that a polymer tip, integrated by free-radical photopolymerization at the end of a telecommunication optical fiber, allows high-efficiency coupling between the fiber and an infrared laser diode. A coupling efficiency of 70% (1.5-dB loss) was achieved. We obtained this result by controlling the radius of curvature of the tip, the origin of which is discussed in terms of the photochemical influence of oxygen during tip formation. The experimental data were found to be in agreement with results of electromagnetic calculations based on the finite-element method.     

Mathematical modeling of random coupling between polarization modes in single-mode optical fibers: XVI. Depolarization and repolarization of polychromatic radiation in single-mode optical fibers with random inhomogeneities

The dependences of the degree of polarization of polychromatic radiation on the length of a single-mode optical fiber (SMF) with random inhomogeneities have been obtained by mathematical modeling. The case is considered where radiation having both polarization modes excited with equal weights of linear polarization is first introduced into a depolarizer of polychromatic radiation (a SMF segment with high linear birefringence) and arrives at an SMF with low linear birefringence. It is shown that the degree of polarization of radiation after transmission through the first segment becomes significantly suppressed and remains almost constant upon propagation through the second segment, after which it begins to sharply increase at some length; i.e., repolarization of radiation occurs. It is shown that repolarization of radiation depends weakly on the angle made by the axes of unperturbed linear birefringence of the first and second segments. The conditions for the length of the first segment (depolarizer) under which the degree of polarization remains minimum throughout the second segment are determined.