Crystalline silicon core fibres from aluminium core preforms

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Traditional fiber drawing relies on thermally mediated geometric scaling.
• Existing methods are constrained by the preform's composition and geometry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a new method for fabricating crystalline silicon-core fibers.
• To overcome limitations of preform composition in fiber drawing.

Main Methods:

• A meter-long crystalline silicon-core, silica-cladded fiber was fabricated from a preform without elemental silicon.
• An aluminum rod was inserted into a silica tube and thermally drawn.

Main Results:

• Aluminum atoms reduced silica, producing silicon atoms and aluminum oxide.
• Silicon atoms diffused into the core, forming a molten silicon domain drawn into the fiber core.

Conclusions:

• This method enables the production of crystalline silicon-core fiber from inexpensive materials (aluminum and silica).
• It offers a scalable approach for integrating silicon-based electronics and photonics into fibers.