Splicing and connectorization of photonic crystal fibres

A method of coupling a spliceable optical fiber for transmission of light in its longitudinal direction to an optical component, the method comprising:

• (A) providing the spliceable optical fiber, said spliceable optical fiber comprising:
• (a) a core region;
• and
• (b) a microstructured cladding region, said cladding region surrounding said core region and comprising:
• (b1) an inner cladding region with inner cladding features arranged in an inner cladding background material with a refractive index n1, said inner cladding features comprising thermally collapsible holes or voids, and
• (b2) an outer cladding region with an outer cladding background material with a refractive index n2;
• said spliceable optical fiber having at least one end;
• (B) collapsing said thermally collapsible holes or voids by heating said least one end of said spliceable optical fiber;
• and
• (C) coupling said collapsed spliceable optical fibre end to the optical component.

A spliceable optical fiber for transmission of light in its longitudinal direction, the optical fiber having a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said optical fibre comprising

• (a) a core region;
• and
• (b) a microstructured cladding region, said cladding region surrounding said core region and comprising:
• (b1) an inner cladding region with inner cladding features arranged in an inner cladding background material with a refractive index n1, said inner cladding features comprising thermally collapsible holes or voids, and
• (b2) an outer cladding region with an outer cladding background material with a refractive index n2;
• wherein said n1 being larger than n2.

An article comprising a spliceable optical fiber for transmission of light in its longitudinal direction, the optical fiber having a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, said optical fibre comprising:

• (a) a core region;
• and
• (b) a microstructured cladding region, said cladding region surrounding said core region and comprising:
• (b1) an inner cladding region with inner cladding features arranged in an inner cladding background material with a refractive index n1, said inner cladding features comprising thermally collapsible holes or voids, and
• (b2) an outer cladding region with an outer cladding background material with a refractive index n2;
• wherein said n1 being larger than n2, wherein said article is a non-linear fiber component, or a dispersion compensating fiber component.