Feature Articles | February 2006
Microstructured Fibers: Design and Applications
Holey fibers find application in nonlinear optics such as for continuum generation, in transporting high optical powers, and in sensors and tunable hybrid devices.
by Anders O. Bjarklev, Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, and Jes Broeng, Crystal Fibre A/S
Holey fibers, in which airholes are introduced in the cladding region and extended in the axial direction of the fiber, have been known since the early days of silica waveguide research. Early work demonstrated the first low-loss fibers, which featured very small silica cores held in air by thin bridges of silica. But the technology of conventional, doped-silica fibers progressed rapidly, driven primarily by optical communications, and the holey fibers were not developed much further for a number of years.
Then, in 1996, fibers with a so-called photonic crystal cladding were demonstrated. The field of photonic crystal fibers was founded, with the realization of microstructured silica fibers that featured a periodic array of airholes running their length...
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