Hollow-core photonic bandgap fibers: technology and applications

Francesco Poletti, Marco N. Petrovich, David J. Richardson
2013 Nanophotonics  
Since the early conceptual and practical demonstrations in the late 1990s, Hollow-Core Photonic Band Gap Fibres (HC-PBGFs) have attracted huge interest by virtue of their promise to deliver a unique range of optical properties that are simply not possible in conventional fibre types. HC-PBGFs have the potential to overcome some of the fundamental limitations of solid fibres promising, for example, reduced transmission loss, lower nonlinearity, higher damage thresholds and lower latency, amongst
more » ... others. They also provide a unique medium for a range of light: matter interactions of various forms, particularly for gaseous media. In this paper we review the current status of the field, including the latest developments in the understanding of the basic guidance mechanisms in these fibres and the unique properties they can exhibit. We also review the latest advances in terms of fibre fabrication and characterisation, before describing some of the most important applications of the technology, focusing in particular on their use in gas-based fibre optics and in optical communications. Unauthenticated Download Date | 9/22/17 5:18 AM is typically in the range 80-100 µm, while the core diameter can range from ~5 to 35 µm (see Section 4); (B) shows the typical pass-band transmission spectrum of a 5-m long state-of-the-art near-IR-guiding fibre; (C) is a simulation result showing a contour plot (2 dB spacing) of the intensity profile of the longitudinally propagating fundamental guided mode for a wavelength inside the bandgap: more than 99% of the optical power can be transmitted in air; (D) is an example of a colourful pattern, arising from antiresonances and high order band gaps that can be seen when observing an IR-guiding fibre under an optical microscope.
doi:10.1515/nanoph-2013-0042 fatcat:jfczvrwg4vb7xks5ztzkdj2xwm