Low-loss chalcogenide microstructured optical fibers prepared by eliminating interfaces defects.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Photonics

Background:

• Chalcogenide microstructured optical fibers (ChG-MOFs) exhibit higher loss compared to step-index fibers.
• Immature preform preparation and waveguide defect scattering are primary causes of high loss in ChG-MOFs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of chemical polishing on reducing scattering loss in ChG-MOFs.
• To prepare ChG-MOFs with minimized defect scattering using chemical polishing.
• To enhance the performance and durability of ChG-MOFs.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical and experimental analysis of scattering loss in ChG-MOFs.
• Mechanical drilling and subsequent chemical polishing of fiber preforms.
• Fabrication and characterization of a single-mode photonic crystal fiber (PCF).

Main Results:

• Chemical polishing effectively reduces scattering loss caused by defective layers in ChG-MOFs.
• Average loss in the fabricated PCF decreased from over 8 dB/m to below 2 dB/m.
• Minimum fiber loss achieved was 0.8 dB/m at 2.7 µm, with significantly improved bending strength.

Conclusions:

• Chemical polishing is a viable technique for mitigating scattering loss in ChG-MOFs.
• The improved fiber loss and bending strength enable broader applications for ChG-MOFs.
• This method addresses key limitations in ChG-MOF fabrication and performance.