Hollow core photonic bandgap optical fiber
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsLeonard Forbes, Joseph E. Geusic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photonic crystal optical fiber made up of an array of conventional hollow core optical fibers is disclosed. The array of optical fibers omits at least one fiber to form a central hollow core. The fiber works on the principle of two-dimensional photonic crystals to confine the radiation in a guided wave within the central hollow core. The fiber has a true photonic bandgap in which radiation of a particular energy or wavelength is totally forbidden, thereby providing a very high reflection coefficient to radiation incident the walls of the central hollow core over a select range of angles. The central hollow core allows for radiation propagation with minimal absorption.
Claims47
An apparatus comprising:
- an array of hollow core optical fibers arranged longitudinally about an axis to define a central hollow core about the axis, wherein the array is formed as a two-dimensional photonic crystal with a photonic bandgap that allows radiation of a select frequency range to propagate down the central hollow core.
A photonic bandgap optical fiber comprising:
- a plurality of hollow core optical fibers arranged longitudinally in an array in a two-dimensional triangular lattice structure so as to form a two-dimensional photonic crystal having a photonic bandgap;
- and
- a central hollow core sized to accept radiation corresponding to the photonic bandgap.
An apparatus comprising:
- an array of hollow core optical fibers arranged longitudinally to form a two-dimensional photonic crystal lattice having a photonic bandgap, the array of optical fibers having at least one omitted optical fiber so as to leave a longitudinal central aperture that forms a central hollow core in the array.
An optical fiber comprising:
- a two-dimensional array of hollow core optical fibers having a silica cladding, the array designed to have a photonic bandgap centered around a first radiation frequency;
- a central hollow core passing through the array and sized to accept radiation of a second frequency that falls within the photonic bandgap.
A system comprising:
- a hollow core photonic bandgap optical fiber having an input end and an output end and made up of an array of hollow core optical fibers arranged longitudinally to form a two-dimensional photonic crystal lattice having a photonic bandgap, the array of optical fibers having at least one omitted optical fiber so as to leave a longitudinal central aperture that forms a central hollow core in the array capable of guiding light having a frequency within the photonic bandgap;
- a radiation source optically coupled to the input end;
- and
- a photodetector optically coupled to the output end.
A system comprising:
- a radiation source capable of emitting radiation of a first frequency;
- a detector capable of detecting the radiation;
- and
- a hollow core two-dimensional photonic bandgap optical fiber optically coupled to the radiation source and the detector.
A method of guiding radiation comprising:
- forming a two-dimensional array of hollow core optical fibers to create a two-dimensional photonic crystal having a photonic bandgap, including omitting at least one hollow core optical fiber from the array to create a central hollow core in the array;
- and
- introducing into the central hollow core radiation having a frequency within the photonic bandgap.
A method comprising:
- longitudinally arranging a plurality of hollow core optical fibers to form a two-dimensional photonic crystal lattice having a photonic bandgap;
- and omitting at least one hollow core optical fiber from the lattice so as to leave a longitudinal central aperture that forms a central hollow core in the lattice capable of guiding radiation having a frequency within the photonic bandgap.
A method comprising:
- generating a radiation signal;
- coupling the radiation signal into an input end of a photonic bandgap optical fiber having a central hollow core defined by an array of longitudinally arranged hollow core optical fibers arranged to form a two-dimensional photonic crystal lattice having a photonic bandgap;
- and
- outputting the radiation signal at an output end of the photonic bandgap optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.