Dispersion manipulating fiber
AssigneeCrystal Fibre A/S
InventorsStig Eigil Barkou Libori, Jes Broeng, Anders Bjarklev, Thomas Sondergaard, Martin Dybendal Nielsen
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Abstract
The present invention relates to optical fibers and especially to optical fibers having microstructures in core and/or cladding region(s). The fibers may be utilized for dispersion compensation and non-linear applications.
Claims169
A micro-structured optical fibre for transmitting at least a predetermined wavelength of light, said optical fibre having an axial direction and a cross section perpendicular to said axial direction, said optical fibre comprising:
- a core region having a multiplicity of spaced apart core features that are elongated in the fibre axial direction and disposed in a core material, said core region having an effective index of refraction Nco;
- and
- a cladding region surrounding said core region, said cladding region comprising a multiplicity of spaced apart cladding features that are elongated in the fibre axial direction and disposed in a first cladding material, and said cladding region having an effective index of refraction Ncl, wherein a plurality of said cladding features have a cross-sectional dimension perpendicular to said axial direction being larger than said predetermined wavelength, and wherein one or more of said cladding features are voids.
An article comprising a micro-structured optical fibre for guiding light at an operating wavelength, said optical fibre having an axial direction and a cross section perpendicular to said axial direction, the optical fibre comprising:
- a core region having an effective refractive index Nco and being surrounded by a cladding region comprising a multiplicity of spaced apart cladding features being elongated in the axial direction and disposed in a first cladding material, the cladding features having a refractive index that differs from a refractive index of the first cladding material, the cladding region further comprising an inner cladding region surrounding the core region and an outer cladding region surrounding the inner cladding region, the inner cladding region having an effective refractive index Ni and the outer cladding region having an effective refractive index No, with Ni being larger than No at the operating wavelength, wherein the inner cladding region comprises the first cladding material and the cladding features disposed therein, the first cladding material thereby constituting an inner cladding material and the cladding features disposed in the first cladding material constituting a multiplicity of spaced apart inner cladding features.
An article comprising a micro-structured optical fibre for guiding light at an operating wavelength, said optical fibre having an axial direction and a cross section perpendicular to said axial direction, the optical fibre comprising a core region surrounded by an inner cladding region that comprises a multiplicity of spaced apart inner cladding features that are elongated in the axial direction and disposed in an inner cladding material, the inner cladding region being surrounded by an outer cladding region that comprises a multiplicity of spaced apart outer cladding features that are elongated in the axial direction and disposed in an outer material, the inner cladding features having a refractive index that differs from a refractive index of the inner cladding material and the inner cladding region having an effective refractive index Ni, and the outer cladding features having a refractive index that differs from a refractive index of the outer cladding material and the outer cladding region having an effective refractive index No, wherein Ni is larger than No at the operating wavelength.
An article comprising a micro-structured optical fibre for guiding light at an operating wavelength, said optical fibre having an axial direction and a cross section perpendicular to said axial direction, the optical fibre comprising a core region having an effective refractive index Nco and being surrounded by an inner cladding region that comprises a multiplicity of spaced apart inner cladding features that are elongated in the axial direction and disposed in an inner cladding material, the inner cladding region being surrounded by an outer cladding region that comprises a multiplicity of spaced apart outer cladding features that are elongated in the axial direction and disposed in an outer material, the inner cladding features having a refractive index that differs from a refractive index of the inner cladding material and the inner cladding region having an effective refractive index Ni, and the outer cladding features having a refractive index that differs from a refractive index of the outer cladding material and the outer cladding region having an effective refractive index No, wherein:
- Ni is larger than No at the operating wavelength, the core region is a substantially solid core with a core diameter around or below 4 μm and with an effective refractive index Nco being larger than Ni at the operating wavelength, the centre to centre spacing or pitch of the inner cladding features, Λi, is around or below 2 μm, the inner cladding features have a diameter or cross sectional dimension, di, fulfilling the requirement that di/Λi is equal to or below 0.7 and equal to or above 0.2, the centre to centre spacing or pitch of the outer cladding features, Λo, is around or below 2 μm, and the outer cladding features have a diameter or cross sectional dimension, do, fulfilling the requirement that do/Λo is equal to or above 0.4.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.