Joseph Zagari

Microstructured polymer optical fibre

The first microstructured polymer optical fibre is described. Both experimental and theoretical evidence is presented to establish that the fibre is effectively single moded at optical wavelengths. Polymer-based microstructured optical fibres offer key advantages over both conventional polymer optical fibres and glass microstructured fibres. The low-cost manufacturability and the chemical flexibility of the polymers provide great potential for applications in data communication networks and for the development of a range of new polymer-based fibre-optic components.

Bragg gratings in air-silica structured fibers.

We report on grating writing in air-silica structured optical fibers with pure silica cores by use of two-photon absorption at 193 nm. A decrease in propagation loss with irradiation was observed. The characteristic growth curves were obtained.

Ring structures in microstructured polymer optical fibres

Recent developments in polymer microstructured optical fibres allow for the realisation of microstructures in fibres that would be problematic to fabricate using glass-based capillary stacking. We present one class of such structures, where the holes lie on circular rings. A fibre of this type is fabricated and shown to be single moded for relatively long lengths of fibre, whereas shorter lengths are multimoded. An average index model for these fibres is developed. Comparison of its predictions to the calculated properties of the exact structure indicates that the ring structures emulate homogeneous rings of lower refractive index resulting in the ring structured fibres behaving approximately as cylindrically layered fibres.

Recent progress in microstructured polymer optical fibre fabrication and characterisation

Recent progress in microstructured polymer optical fibre fabrication and characterisation will be presented. A wide range of different optical functionalities can now be obtained by modifications of the microstructure, as is demonstrated by the fibres presented here. Microstructured fibres that are single-mode, highly birefringent or show twin-core coupling are described, in addition to graded-index microstructured fibres and hollow core fibres, the latter case being where light is guided in an air core. Microstructured polymer optical fibres are an exciting new development, offering opportunities to develop fibres for a wide range of applications in telecommunications and optical sensing.

Retaining and characterising nano-structure within tapered air-silica structured optical fibers.

Air-silica fiber 125m in diameter has been tapered down to ~15m. At this diameter, it is commonly assumed that the nanostructured fiber holes have collapsed. Using an Atomic Force Microscope, we show this assumption to be in error, and demonstrate for the first time that structures several hundred nanometers in diameter are present, and that hole array structures are maintained. The use of Atomic Force Microscopy is shown to be an efficient way of characterising these structures.

Small-core single-mode microstructured polymer optical fiber with large external diameter

A preform sleeving technique is demonstrated that allows the fabrication of single-mode polymer microstructured fiber with the smallest core and hole dimensions yet reported to our knowledge. For a fixed triangular hole pattern a range of fibers is produced by adjustment to the operating conditions of the draw tower. Numerical modeling is carried out for one of the fibers produced with a 570-microm external diameter, a core diameter of 2.23 microm, an average hole diameter of 0.53 microm, and an average hole spacing of 1.38 microm. This fiber was shown to be endlessly single mode.

Identifying hollow waveguide guidance in air-cored microstructured optical fibres

An analysis of leaky modes in real microstructured optical fibres fabricated specifically for photonic band gap guidance in an air core has been used to identify alternative guiding mechanisms. The supported leaky modes exhibit properties closely matching a simple hollow waveguide, uninfluenced by the surrounding microstructure. The analysis gives a quantitative determination of the wavelength dependent loss of these modes and illustrates a mechanism not photonic band gap in origin by which colouration can be observed in such fibres. These findings are demonstrated experimentally.

Heat transfer within a microstructured polymer optical fibre preform

Preform heating is one of the most important steps in the polymer fibre fabrication process due to the potential distortion that can be introduced when exposing the structure to high temperatures. Such heating is further complicated when internal air-structures are introduced into the preform, such as in microstructured polymer optical fibre (MPOF) preforms. The aim of this study was thus to investigate heat transfer in an MPOF preform. The effect of air-structure was studied using both numerical heat transfer simulations and preform heating experiments. A two-dimensional conductive heat transfer model with surface radiation was used in simulating the transient heat transfer in MPOF preforms with the results compared to those for a solid preform. It was found that relatively long heating times were required to reach a uniform temperature distribution within a preform, and that depending on the preforms air fraction its centre could heat up either faster or slower than a solid preform. Experimental tests, where both a solid and an air-structured preform were heated in a drawing furnace with internal temperatures measured across the preform, confirmed the findings from the numerical simulations.

Geometry control of air-silica structured optical fibres using pressurisation

The use of pressurisation can allow substantial and fine control of the geometrical dimensions of air-material structured optical fibres. A comparison is made between three air-silica structured optical fibres drawn from thin and thick capillary stacks. The effect of temperature on pressurisation is also discussed.

Optimising holey fibre characteristics

We present calculations of the properties of a range of holey fibres with different hole arrangements and symmetries and optimise characteristics such as the splice losses, the dispersion properties and the non-linear effective area.