Microstructured optical fiber photonic wires with subwavelength core diameter

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Microstructured optical fibers offer unique light-guiding properties.
• Tapering optical fibers is a key technique for creating novel photonic devices.
• Surface contamination and leakage can limit the performance of conventional photonic waveguides.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the fabrication of robust, low-loss silica photonic wires.
• To investigate the operational regimes and properties of these photonic wires.
• To explore their potential applications in photonic circuits.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of silica photonic wires via a fifty-fold tapering of microstructured silica optical fiber.
• Preservation of the fiber's internal structure and open air holes during tapering.
• Characterization of the transition between embedded and evanescent operational regimes.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated robust, low-loss silica photonic wires.
• Maintained open air holes, isolating the core mode from the environment.
• Observed a transition from an embedded to an evanescent regime, with >70% mode intensity outside the fiber.
• Identified unique dispersion and nonlinear properties.

Conclusions:

• Tapered microstructured silica optical fibers are suitable for creating robust photonic wires.
• The isolated core mode offers insensitivity to surface contamination and leakage.
• These photonic wires show promise for applications in integrated photonic circuits and advanced optical devices.