Feature Articles | September 2005
Microstructured Fiber: Out of the Lab and Put to Use
Microstructured optical fibers rely on the characteristics of photonic crystals to guide light. Practical applications for these unique fibers are emerging.
by Dr. Wolfgang Mannstadt, Dr. Bernd Drapp, Bernd Hoppe and
Dr. Dirk Sprenger, Schott AG
For almost 40 years, glass fibers have guided and transmitted light, providing optical solutions in many fields of technology. During the past decade, a new variety of optical fiber, microstructured fiber, has emerged from the laboratory and is finding applications where conventional fiber either cannot be used or performs with far less efficiency.
Conventional optical fiber consists of a glass core surrounded by a cladding made of another type of glass or an organic polymer (acrylate) (Figure 1). The diameter of the core ranges from 5 to 120 µm, and the diameter of the fiber (both core and cladding) typically is 125 µm or more. The refractive index of the core is greater than that of the cladding, and light is guided in the core by total internal reflection...
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