Back to results
US 7,742,665 B2Granted
Apparatus and methods using hollow-core fiber tapers
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsMichel J. F. Digonnet, Aydogan Ozcan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical filter and methods of filtering are provided. The optical filter includes a hollow-core fiber including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter. The second portion includes a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter.
Claims39
An optical filter comprising:
- a hollow-core fiber comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion comprising a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter, the second portion comprising a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter, wherein the difference between the first diameter and the third diameter is less than 10% of the first diameter.
A method of forming an optical filter, the method comprising:
- providing a hollow-core fiber, the hollow-core fiber having an axis, a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion positioned between the first portion and the second portion along the axis, the third portion having a first diameter;
- heating at least the third portion of the hollow-core fiber to a temperature at which the third portion is plastically deformable;
- pulling at least one of the first portion and the second portion along the axis such that a distance between the first portion and the second portion increases, thereby stretching and plastically deforming the third portion such that the third portion has a second diameter less than the first diameter, wherein pulling is stopped before the difference between the second diameter and the diameter of the first portion reaches 10% of the diameter of the first portion;
- and
- allowing the hollow-core fiber to cool and set.
2 more elements
A method of filtering an optical signal, the method comprising:
- providing a hollow-core fiber comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion comprising a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter, the second portion comprising a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter, wherein the difference between the first diameter and the third diameter is less than 10% of the first diameter;
- and
- transmitting an optical signal through the first portion of the hollow-core fiber to the second portion of the hollow-core fiber, wherein a first portion of the optical signal having a first range of wavelengths is transmitted through the second portion of the hollow-core fiber and a second portion of the optical signal having a second range of wavelengths is not transmitted through the second portion of the hollow-core fiber.
An optical device configured to receive an input optical signal and to emit an output optical signal, the optical device comprising:
- a hollow-core fiber comprising:
- a first portion comprising a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter;
- a second portion comprising a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter, wherein the difference between the first diameter and the third diameter is less than 10% of the first diameter;
- and
- a third portion having a hollow core having a fifth diameter larger than the third diameter and a cladding having a sixth diameter larger than the fourth diameter.
2 more elements
A laser comprising:
- a hollow-core fiber comprising:
- a first portion comprising a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter;
- a second portion comprising a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter;
- and
- a third portion having a hollow core having a fifth diameter larger than the third diameter and a cladding having a sixth diameter larger than the fourth diameter;
- two optical reflectors bounding an optical resonating region, wherein the hollow-core fiber is in the optical resonating region;
- and
- a gain medium in the optical resonating region, wherein the hollow-core fiber is in optical communication with the gain medium.
5 more elements
A method of generating laser light, the method comprising:
- providing a hollow-core fiber in an optical resonating region having a fundamental mode spectrum, the hollow-core fiber comprising:
- a first portion comprising a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter;
- a second portion comprising a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter;
- and
- a third portion having a hollow core having a fifth diameter larger than the third diameter and a cladding having a sixth diameter larger than the fourth diameter;
- providing two optical reflectors, wherein the hollow-core fiber is between the two optical reflectors;
- providing a gain medium in the optical resonating region, the gain medium in optical communication with the hollow-core fiber;
- and
- using the hollow-core fiber to filter light from the gain medium by removing light having one or more wavelengths different from the fundamental mode spectrum.
6 more elements
An optical sensor comprising:
- a hollow-core fiber comprising:
- a first portion comprising a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter;
- a second portion comprising a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter, wherein the difference between the first diameter and the third diameter is less than 10% of the first diameter;
- and
- a third portion having a hollow core having a fifth diameter larger than the third diameter and a cladding having a sixth diameter larger than the fourth diameter,
- wherein the hollow core of the second portion is configured to receive a specimen, the specimen comprising one or more chemicals or biological materials, wherein a transmission spectrum of the hollow-core fiber is indicative of the presence of a predetermined molecule or molecular species in the specimen.
3 more elements
A method of sensing the presence of one or more chemicals or biological materials in a specimen, the method comprising:
- providing a hollow-core fiber comprising:
- a first portion comprising a hollow core having a first diameter and a cladding having a second diameter;
- a second portion comprising a hollow core having a third diameter smaller than the first diameter and a cladding having a fourth diameter smaller than the second diameter, wherein the difference between the first diameter and the third diameter is less than 10% of the first diameter;
- and
- a third portion having a hollow core having a fifth diameter larger than the third diameter and a cladding having a sixth diameter larger than the fourth diameter,
- inserting the specimen into the hollow-core fiber;
- and
- detecting a transmission spectrum of the hollow-core fiber while the specimen is within the hollow-core fiber, wherein the transmission spectrum is indicative of the presence of a predetermined molecule or molecular species in the specimen.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.