Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026
Fabrication and Characterization of Disordered Polymer Optical Fibers for Transverse Anderson Localization of Light
Published on: July 29, 2013
Photopolymer microtips for efficient light coupling between single-mode fibers and photonic crystal fibers
Limin Xiao1, Wei Jin, M S Demokan
1Department of Electrical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong. xiaolimin.ee@polyu.edu.hk
Abstract:
A novel method for light coupling between single-mode fibers (SMFs) and small-core photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) is demonstrated. The method is based on growing photopolymer microtips directly on the end faces of SMFs. The shape and size of the tips can be controlled by adjusting the laser power and the exposure time for polymerization to match the mode field to the small-core PCFs. A 5 dB improvement in coupling efficiency between a SMF and a commercial small-core, highly nonlinear PCF is experimentally demonstrated. This compact and efficient butt-coupling method is particularly suitable for PCF gas sensor applications.
