Methodology of splicing large air filling factor suspended core photonic crystal fibres

We report the methodology of effective low-loss fusion splicing a photonic crystal fibre (PCF) to itself as well as to a standard single mode fibre (SMF). Distinctly from other papers in this area, we report on the results for splicing suspended core (SC) PCF having tiny core and non-Gaussian shape of guided beam. We show that studied splices exhibit transmission losses strongly dispersive and non-reciprocal in view of light propagation direction. Achieved splicing losses, defined as larger decrease in transmitted optical power comparing both propagation directions, are equal to 2.71 ±0.25 dB, 1.55 ±0.25 dB at 1550 nm for fibre SC PCF spliced to itself and to SMF, respectively.     

Modal characteristics of few-mode silica-based photonic crystal fibres

The modal characteristics of silica-based photonic crystal fibres (PCF) are examined through a scalar modal analysis combined with an effective V-parameter model using a finite-difference method. Cut off frequencies of the lowest-order modes and the normalised dispersion curves are given and are found to be quasi-independent of the hole-size-to-pitch ratio. A simple and accurate empirical relation for the cutoff wavelength is given for the first higher-order mode for fibres with hole-size-to-pitch ratio below 0.7. These results should be very useful in designing PCF's for various applications.     

Waveguide arrays in selectively infiltrated photonic crystal fibres

The periodic array of air holes in the cladding of a photonic crystal fibre (PCF) provides a convenient scaffold for the introduction of an infiltrating liquid. In this paper we demonstrate a novel platform of one-dimensional tuneable nonlinear photonic lattices produced by selectively infiltrating a row of holes in a PCF. Such structures have been realised by blocking individual holes on one end of a PCF, leaving the desired infiltration pattern unblocked. Unblocked holes are then infiltrated by immersing the unblocked end of the fibre in a reservoir of the infiltrating liquid, allowing for the realisation of a wide variety of periodic structures. Such structures are studied for traditional linear and nonlinear effects in periodic systems.     

Tunability of discrete diffraction in photonic liquid crystal fibres

In this paper theoretical and experimental results regarding discrete light propagation in photonic liquid crystal fibres (PLCFs) are presented. Particular interest is focused on tunability of the beam guidance obtained due to the variation in either external temperature or optical power (with assumption of thermal nonlinearity taking place in liquid crystals). Highly tunable (discrete) diffraction and thermal self-(de)focusing are studied and tested in experimental conditions. Specifically, spatial light localization and/or delocalization due to the change in tuning parameters are demonstrated, with possibility of discrete spatial (gap) soliton propagation in particular conditions. Results of numerical simulations (performed for the Gaussian beams of different widths and wavelengths) have been compared to those from experimental tests performed in the PLCFs of interest. Owning to the limit of experimental means, direct qualitative comparison was not quite accessible. Nevertheless, a qualitative agreement between theoretical and experimental data (obtained in analogous conditions) has been achieved, suggesting a compact and widely-accessible platform for the study of tunable linear (and nonlinear) discrete light propagation in two-dimensional systems. Proposed photonic structures are of a great potential for all-optical beam shaping and switching.     

Dispersion management in soft glass all-solid photonic crystal fibres

The development of all-solid photonic crystal fibres for nonlinear optics is an alternative approach to air-glass solid core photonic crystal fibres. The use of soft glasses ensures a high refractive index contrast (> 0.1) and a high nonlinear coefficient of the fibres. We report on the dispersion management capabilities in all-solid photonic crystal fibres taking into account four thermally matched glasses which can be jointly processed using the stack-and-draw fibre technique. We present structures with over 450 nm broadband flat normal dispersion and ultra-flat near zero anomalous dispersion below 5 ps/nm/km over 300 nm dedicated to supercontinuum generation with 1540 nm laser sources. The development of an all-solid photonic crystal fibre made of F2 and NC21 glasses is presented. The fibre is used to demonstrate supercontinuum generation in the range of 730?C870 nm (150 nm) with flatness below 5 dB.     

Widely tunable dual-pump parametric amplifiers with photonic crystal fibres

This paper theoretically studies the double-pumped fibre-optical parametric amplifiers （FOPAs） in photonic crystal fibres. Two distinct working regimes of FOPAs are researched, which depend on the dispersion at the central wavelength of the two pumps. Extremely broad tuning range can be obtained when the central pump wavelength is in the normal dispersion regime and is insensitive to the wavelength separation between the two pumps, while the tuning range is narrow in the anomalous dispersion regime and can be significantly enhanced by increasing the wavelength separation. Impacts of higher-order dispersions and temporal walk-off on the gain spectra are also discussed.     

Hollow-core photonic crystal fibres for delivery and compression of ultrashort optical pulses

We describe the use of tapered hollow-core photonic crystal fibres for delivery and compression of ultrashort optical pulses. We demonstrate delivery of transform-limited pulses with less than 100 fs pulse length and above 50 nJ energy through 8 m of fibre, in a single transverse mode.     

光子晶体理论应用于取样光纤光栅的研究

将取样光纤光栅近似为引入多个有规律的大尺寸缺陷的一维二元光子晶体,运用光子晶体传输矩阵理论分析了其长度L、周期LA、折射率调制量δneff和采样率p等参量对其反射谱的影响规律,并将所得结果与用取样光纤光栅传输矩阵法计算所得结果进行了比较,得出了用光子晶体理论分析与用传统的模耦合理论分析相吻合的特性。在分析取样光纤光栅的其它性质以及将其应用于实际时都可借鉴此理论,以达到工程实际应用的最佳效果。     

光子晶体光纤光栅谱特性的数值模拟研究

应用多极法理论和传输矩阵法,对基于包层空气孔为正六边形对称结构的光子晶体光纤的布喇格光栅特性进行了计算和仿真。对比研究了常规单模光纤所成光栅与相同光栅周期的光子晶体光纤布喇格光栅反射谱之间的差异,重点研究了光子晶体光纤的结构参数变化(间隙孔半径、层数)与光子晶体光纤光栅的谐振峰变化规律。当光子晶体光纤的间隙孔半径增大时,光子晶体光纤光栅的谐振波长出现蓝移;当光子晶体光纤的间隙孔径不变、层数增加时,光子晶体光纤光栅的谐振波长出现红移。     

Dynamic characteristics of nonlinear Bragg gratings in photonic crystal fibres

We study numerically the temporal and spatial dynamics of light in Bragg gratings in highly nonlinear photonic crystal fibre for a CW input signal. Our numerical model is based on the plane wave mode solver and a set of nonlinear coupled-mode equations which we solve using a variation of implicit fourth order Runge-Kutta method. We observe not only bistability of the intensity versus transmitted and reflected light but also complex dynamics. We demonstrate that for values of input intensity above the bistable region the steady state may undergo a supercritical Hopf bifurcation. For some ranges of the input intensity we also observe a coexistence of two periodic attractors. The dynamics found, in particular the features in the bifurcation diagram, strongly depend on the parameters of the fibre. Consequently, we suggest that by proper design of the photonic crystal in the cladding we can adjust such nonlinear features of the Bragg gratings as the width of the bistable region, the intensity at which the bifurcation occurs and also the characteristics of the dynamics at high values of input intensity.     

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.     

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.     

Optical vortex solitons and soliton clusters in photonic crystal fibres

We study higher-order nonlinear modes in the form of vortex solitons and soliton clusters propagating in the waveguides created in photonic crystal fibers made of a material with the focusing Kerr nonlinearity. We find numerically different families of such nonlinear modes with a nontrivial topology and study their bifurcations. We also study the soliton stability to propagation. We demonstrate that waveguides in photonic crystal fibers may support a variety of soliton clusters with the symmetries that may differ from the lattice symmetry. We also discuss briefly the case of a dual-core coupler created by two neighboring cores in a photonic crystal fiber and find numerically the profiles of symmetric and asymmetric nonlinear modes.     

Deep-notch, ultracompact long-period grating in a large-mode-area photonic crystal fiber

An extremely short long-period grating (LPG) with strong resonance has been developed in a large-mode-area photonic crystal fiber (PCF) by use of the heat source of a CO2 laser. We believe that such a LPG in pure silica PCF is the first example to be obtained with the point-by-point technique. The fabrication method is simple and repeatable. The resulting LPG has 8 periods, written by a CO2 laser, within a 2.8-mm length of fiber, which yields a deep notch of core-cladding mode coupling of -31.5 dB at the telecommunication wavelength of 1529.2 nm, with a FWHM of approximately 0.7 nm. The principal advantages of this LPG are that it is practical, cost effective, and compact.     

Spectral properties of liquid crystal photonic bandgap fibres with splay-aligned mesogens

Through a detailed electromagnetic analysis we investigate the characteristics of liquid crystal infiltrated photonic crystal Fibers guiding by the Photonic Bandgap effect. The analysis, carried out using the Finite Element Method and including also material dispersion effects, puts into evidence particular spectral features related to the so-called splay alignment of the molecules constituting the liquid crystal, the so called mesogens. Control of these features is of use in the design of new devices for sensing or telecommunication applications.     

Nondestructive index profiling of long period gratings in photonic crystal fibres

A numerical model of a long period grating in photonic crystal fibre fabricated by an electric arc is proposed that allows for the spectral characterisation of the grating. In the combination with the suggested model of the photonic crystal and the experimentally recorded grating growth it is used to find the index change induced by the electric arc.     

Enhance the resolution of photonic crystal negative refraction imaging by metal grating

The resolution of imaging is limited by the missing of high-frequencies information. The superlens employing negative refraction can compensate for these components. But for the directional coupling of Bloch waves and the low coupling efficiency of large-angle waves, the resolution of subwavelength imaging is not satisfactory. However, the subwavelength metallic grating can produce high-order diffracted waves carrying a lot of high-frequencies information. Therefore, this structure is used to inhibit the zero-order diffraction and enhance the high-order diffraction to achieve super-resolution.     

具有可变电控光栅常数的液晶光栅

针对现有液晶光栅器件存在的光栅常数不能变化、电极尖端放电、边缘效应等缺点,设计了一种可转换光栅常数的液晶光栅。通过控制不同导电区的通断电,使液晶光栅不同区域产生透光与不透光,实现光栅常数的转换;液晶光栅梳状电极端部的圆弧状设计,避免了尖端放电现象,减小了边缘效应的影响。以He-Ne激光为光源,用WGD-8A型组合式多功能光栅光谱仪对所设计的液晶光栅器件进行了测量,结果表明：通过控制导电区的变化实现了光栅常数的转变,在2～3.4 V电压驱动下,具有3种不同光栅常数的液晶光栅的1级衍射光强逐渐增强,且其衍射光强的差值不断增大,达到了预期设计目的。设计的液晶光栅在视差栅栏、光栅尺等方面有好的应用前景。     

Analytical solution of the fundamental space filling mode of photonic crystal fibers

Analytical solution of the fundamental space filling mode of photonic crystal fibers is revisited based on previous results by Midrio et al. [J Lightwave Technol 2000;18(7):1031–7]. The fundamental space filling mode is designated HE₁₁ mode following the conventional mode classification. A comparison is made between the vectorial method and the scalar method when identical parameters are used in the analytical solution. A more accurate radius of the equivalent circular unit cell is determined.