Apparatus and methods using hollow-core fiber tapers
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsMichel J. F. Digonnet, Aydogan Ozcan
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Abstract
An optical device and methods of using an optical device are provided. The optical device includes a hollow-core fiber including a first portion and a second portion. The first portion includes a hollow core having a first diameter. The second portion includes a hollow core having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter. The difference between the first diameter and the second diameter is less than 10% of the first diameter.
Claims20
An optical device comprising an optical fiber, the optical fiber comprising a first optical fiber portion comprising a first hollow core having a first diameter, the optical fiber further comprising a second optical fiber portion comprising a second hollow core having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, wherein the difference between the first diameter and the second diameter is less than 10% of the first diameter.
A method of forming an optical fiber, the method comprising:
- providing a hollow-core fiber, the hollow-core fiber comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion positioned between the first portion and the second portion, 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 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 first diameter is greater than 10% of the first diameter;
- and
- allowing the hollow-core fiber to cool and set.
A method of filtering an optical signal, the method comprising:
- providing an optical fiber comprising:
- a first portion comprising a first hollow core having a first diameter;
- and
- a second portion comprising a second hollow core having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, wherein the difference between the first diameter and the second diameter is less than 10% of the first diameter;
- and
- transmitting an optical signal through the first portion of the optical fiber to the second portion of the optical fiber, wherein a first portion of the optical signal having a first range of wavelengths is transmitted through the second portion of the optical fiber and a second portion of the optical signal having a second range of wavelengths is not transmitted through the second portion of the optical fiber.
A laser system comprising:
- a hollow-core fiber comprising:
- a first optical fiber portion comprising a first hollow core having a first diameter;
- a second optical fiber portion comprising a second hollow core having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter;
- and
- a third optical fiber portion having a third hollow core having a third diameter larger than the second diameter;
- two optical reflectors bounding an optical resonating region, wherein the second optical fiber portion is within 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.
A method of generating laser light, the method comprising:
- providing a hollow-core fiber comprising:
- a first optical fiber portion comprising a first hollow core having a first diameter;
- a second optical fiber portion comprising a second hollow core having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, the second optical fiber portion in an optical resonating region having a fundamental mode spectrum;
- and
- a third optical fiber portion having a third hollow core having a third diameter larger than the second diameter;
- 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.
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 first hollow core having a first diameter;
- a second portion comprising a second hollow core having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, wherein the difference between the first diameter and the second diameter is less than 10% of the first diameter;
- and
- a third portion having a third hollow core having a third diameter larger than the second 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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.