Axi-Stack: a method for manufacturing freeform air-silica optical fibre

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optical Engineering
• Laser Microfabrication

Background:

• Conventional stack-and-draw methods for optical fibre preform fabrication face limitations in creating complex, freeform structures.
• Precision and flexibility are crucial for developing advanced optical fibres with tailored properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and demonstrate the Axi-Stack method for fabricating freeform air-silica optical fibre preforms.
• To overcome the geometric constraints of traditional preform manufacturing techniques.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing ultrafast laser-assisted etching for precision machining of short, cross-sectional preform discs.
• Employing ultrafast laser welding to axially stack and fuse the machined discs into a preform.
• Fabricating a 30 cm long solid-core photonic crystal fibre preform with a square lattice of cladding holes.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of the Axi-Stack process for creating a complex photonic crystal fibre preform.
• The fabricated preform was successfully drawn into optical fibre using conventional methods.
• Characterization of the fibre drawn from the Axi-Stack fabricated preform.

Conclusions:

• The Axi-Stack method offers a versatile and precise approach for fabricating freeform optical fibre preforms.
• This technique removes stacking constraints, enabling novel preform designs for advanced optical fibre applications.
• The successful fabrication and characterization validate the potential of Axi-Stack for next-generation fibre optics.