PCF-based polarization splitters with simplified structures

We propose novel polarization splitters based on photonic crystal fibers (PCFs), in which the cores of the splitters are nearly nonbirefringent. Different from conventional fiber-based polarization splitters, the birefringence in the new splitters results mainly from narrow silica regions physically connecting the two cores. This means that polarization splitting can be achieved without employing highly birefringent cores, which provides a possibility to greatly simplify the structures of the PCF-based polarization splitters and make them more practical. A 5-mm-long splitter with an extinction ratio of 20 dB has been obtained. We also discuss how the silica regions influence coupling characteristics of the dual-core PCFs and present a design guidance for the polarization splitters based on polarization-dependent coupling.     

A novel polarization splitter based on the photonic crystal fiber with nonidentical dual cores

A novel polarization splitter based on photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) with two nonidentical cores is proposed. The two highly birefringent cores are vertically arranged to obtain polarization selective coupling. The horizontal polarization exchanges its energy between the two cores. However, the vertical polarization shows little coupling between the two cores. This is achieved in single-material glass waveguides for the first time to our knowledge. The PCF-based polarization splitter exhibits many advantages such as shorter length, high extinction ratio, and wide bandwidth over its counterparts.     

Highly Birefringent Photonic Crystal Fibers With Ultralow Chromatic Dispersion and Low Confinement Losses

Highly birefringent photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) with low confinement loss with ultralow and ultraflattened chromatic dispersions at wide wavelength band are presented. The transverse electric field vector distributions of two linearly polarized fundamental modes, their effective indices, modal birefringence, confinement losses and chromatic dispersion of the proposed PCFs are reported by using full-vector finite-element method (FEM). Significant improvements of PCFs in terms of the birefringence, chromatic dispersion and confinement losses are demonstrated by careful investigation of all air holes in each ring, air holes diameters and hole-to-hole spacing. In addition to this, the polarization beat length results of the proposed PCFs are also reported and discussed thoroughly.     

A novel polarization splitter based on three-core photonic crystal fibers

A novel polarization splitter based on photonic crystal fibers(PCFs) with three cores of high birefringence is proposed.The 45o linearly polarized light is launched into a core.After a coupling length(about 1500 μm),the xand y-polarized light beams are separated into different cores.When the light is launched into another core,the xand y-polarized light from different cores can be obtained and the degree of separation can be also adjusted.The polarization splitter is highly flexible and adjustable.The lengt...     

Novel magnetic field sensor based on magnetic fluids infiltrated dual-core photonic crystal fibers

Novel magnetic field sensor based on magnetic fluids infiltrated dual-core Photonic Crystal Fibers (PCFs) is proposed in this paper. Inside the cross-section of the designed PCFs, the two fiber cores filled with magnetic fluids (Fe₃O₄) are separated by an air hole, and then form two independent waveguides with mode coupling. The mode coupling under different magnetic field strength is investigated theoretically. A novel and simple magnetic field sensing system is proposed and its sensing performances have been studied numerically. The results show that the magnetic field sensor with 15-cm PCFs has a large sensing range and high sensitivity of 4.80 pm/Oe. It provides a new feasible method to design PCF-based magnetic field sensor.     

高双折射光子晶体光纤特性分析

建立了基于透明边界条件(TBC)的全矢量迦辽金有限元法(FEM)分析二维光子晶体光纤(PCF)的模型,并对椭圆芯等5种高双折射光子晶体光纤基模的模式双折射、限制损耗及色散特性进行了数值分析和比较.通过减小内包层中沿x方向的空气孔,增大沿y方向的空气孔构成的一种光子晶体光纤的模式双折射在波长1550 nm处高达5.96×10-3,而椭圆芯光子晶体光纤为1.52×10-3.研究表明,可通过增加内包层中两个正交方向上空气孔的尺寸差来获得高双折射;同时还得出内包层中放大的空气孔减小限制损耗,增加色散,而减小空气孔尺寸带来的影响则刚好相反;内包层上空气孔数量越少,色散越平坦.     

Form-induced birefringence in elliptical hollow photonic crystal fiber with large mode area

We propose a novel type of photonic crystal fiber (PCF), including an elliptical hole in its solid core. We prove the feasibility of such a fiber and investigate both experimentally and theoretically the dependence of its group birefringence on the geometric hole parameters. We show, for the first time, that form-induced birefringence can be achieved in single mode PCFs with large mode area and suggest it as a possible route for the development of polarization maintaining PCF-based LMA fiber devices.     

高双折射双芯光子晶体光纤偏振分束器

设计了一种基于双折射效应的新型矩形纤芯光子晶体光纤偏振分束器,通过在矩形晶格结构的光子晶体光纤的每个纤芯中引入一对椭圆来增加结构的双折射。应用全矢量有限元法（FEM）分析了双芯光子晶体光纤中结构参数对双折射和耦合长度特性的影响,数值模拟了该偏振分束器的性能。结果表明:增大椭圆率可以在增大结构的双折射的同时减小耦合长度,并且该分束器在工作波长为1.55 m、传输长度为282 m 的光纤中能够实现偏振状态的隔离,消光比达到最小值-45.42 dB,并且在1.507~1.596 m、带宽为89 nm 的范围内消光比小于-10 dB。     

Design of low-confinement-loss and highly birefringent index-guiding photonic crystal fibers

We present a systematic scheme to achieve both high birefringence and low confinement loss in index-guiding photonic crystal fibers （PCFs）, using a structurally-simple PCF with finite number of air holes in the cladding region. By increasing the size of the outermost-ring air holes in the cladding region, highly birefringent PCFs with low confinement loss can be successfully achieved. The design strategy is based on the fact that the modal birefringence of PCFs is dominated by the inner-ring air holes in PCF, which is verified by a full-vector finite element method with anisotropic perfectly matched layers. Numerical results show that modal birefringence in the order of 10-3 and confinement loss less than 0.1 dB/km can be easily realized in the proposed PCF with only four rings of air holes in the cladding region. We expect that such fibers will be much easier to be fabvicated than those with more air holes in the cladding region.     

Study of form birefringence in waveguide devices using the semivectorial beam propagation method

Waveguide devices based on nonbirefringent substrates may still have form birefringence if index discontinuities exist. It is demonstrated that the semivectorial beam propagation method can be used to study the polarization dependence in waveguide devices. It is shown that the calculated coupling lengths of planar directional couplers match within 3.5% of analytical solutions. Results on polarization dependencies of coupling lengths and bending losses of rib waveguide devices are presented. Results of rib waveguide directional couplers indicate that the form birefringence can be significant. Losses of S-shaped bends are weakly polarization dependent in the low-loss regime.<>     

Three-dimensional electromagnetic modeling of fiber-core effects onthe coupling characteristics of weakly fused tapered fiber-opticcouplers

Based on the full-wave formulations, which combine the finite element method add the boundary element technique, and the step-like approximation method, a three-dimensional (3-D) electromagnetic modeling approach is proposed in this work to investigate the fiber-core effects on the coupling characteristics of the weakly fused tapered couplers. We find the fiber cores have significant effects on the mode field patterns, coupling coefficients, and birefringence for the coupler with large normalized frequencies. The influence of the fiber cores on the coupling behavior for the real couplers, such as 3 dB power dividers, polarization beam splitters, and wavelength demultiplexing/multiplexing couplers, are also studied in 3-D view. It is found that the effects of fiber-cores in the weakly fused tapered couplers have to be considered for accurately modelling their coupling behavior, although the model with no core assumption can predict the trend of the coupling characteristics for the real couplers     

Confinement losses and optimization in rectangular-lattice photonic-crystal fibers

Confinement losses in highly birefringent rectangular-lattice photonic-crystal fibers (RLPCFs) are investigated by the multipole method. The losses are strongly polarization dependent, which is due to the anisotropic properties of the cladding. The feature is applied to construct a new kind of single-polarization single-mode photonic-crystal fibers (PCFs), which is based on large differential loss between the two polarizations of the fundamental mode. Furthermore, it is found that the birefringence of RLPCFs is determined mainly by the air holes near the defect core. Consequently, a sandwiching (between triangular structures) rectangular configuration that has the property of reducing leakage loss while simultaneously retaining the birefringence of RLPCF is proposed.     

高双折射双芯光子晶体光纤特性

提出一种新型的高双折射双芯光子晶体光纤(PCF)模型,通过将最内层8个空气孔替换为4个椭圆空气孔来增大光纤的结构不对称性;通过改变两纤芯间的空气孔大小、椭圆空气孔的椭圆度以及孔间距来分析光子晶体光纤的双折射度、耦合长度以及色散特性。结果表明,双芯光子晶体光纤的模式双折射度达到10-2量级,耦合长度达0.1367 mm,在1.0~1.6 μm波长范围内具有超平坦色散特性。     

Optical fiber couplers: scalar supermodes and polarizationcorrections

Scalar field corrections of first order in weak coupling are constructed for the supermodes of couplers composed of two identical step-index optical fiber cores by a novel perturbation technique. The perturbations of the propagation constants lead to the well-known result for the scalar coupling coefficient. However, from the corrected fields the direction-dependent polarization corrections are accurately calculated for the first time, yielding accurate results for both the form birefringence, and the polarization beam splitting     

Birefringence Characteristics of Squeezed Lattice Photonic Crystal Fibers

By using the supercell lattice method, we investigate the influence of the squeezing lattice on the birefringence characteristics of photonic crystal fibers (PCFs). We first define the concept of squeezing ratio and then present a model, with which several types of PCFs are simulated. Simulation results show that the squeezing of PCFs' lattice with the uniform air holes in the cladding can break the multifold symmetry of PCFs and make PCFs highly birefringent. Furthermore, it is reported for the first time to our knowledge that the polarity of PCFs' birefringence can change several times as the air-hole diameter changes.     

基于谐振耦合现象的三芯光子晶体光纤偏振分束器

设计了一种三芯光子晶体光纤(PCFs)偏振分柬器.利用光纤的谐振现象,实现了偏振状态的分离.当三芯光子晶体光纤中三个超模式的模式折射率满足一定条件时,将产生谐振现象.通过选择合适的光纤结构参数,可使某一偏振方向的光接近谐振条件,而另一偏振方向的光远离谐振条件.在光纤的输出端,由于耦合的程度不同,两个偏振光的功率集中在不同的纤芯区,从而达到分离偏振光的目的.应用有限元法(FEM)计算了三芯光子晶体光纤中的模式折射率,选择了合适的光纤结构参数.应用全矢量光束传播法(BPM)分析了这种光纤偏振分束器的性能.结果表明,在1.55 μm工作波长上,长度为1.039 mm的光纤即能实现偏振状态的隔离,隔离度达到-36.98 dB,隔离度<-11 dB的带宽可达到24 nm.     

椭圆芯光子晶体光纤的偏振特性

采用全矢量模型研究椭圆芯光子晶体光纤(photonic crystal fibers,PCFs)的偏振特性。研究表明：椭网芯PCF基模的两个正交偏振态不再简并,模场具有较强的线偏振特性;模式双折射可达10^-3量级,该数值比传统椭圆保偏光纤至少高一个量级;在比传统椭圆保偏光纤更长的波长处获得零走离点和负走离区。椭圆芯PCF的偏振特性与光纤结构参数有较强的依赖关系,通过适当选择光纤的相对孔径和孔距,有望在给定的波长上实现高双折射和零走离单模运转,或设计出高双折射、大走离的单模光纤,为研制高性能保偏光纤提供了一个新的途径。     

基于液体选择填充光子晶体光纤的波分解复用器研究

设计了一种基于液体选择填充三芯光子晶体光纤的1.31/1.55um波分解复用器。中间为缺失一个空气孔的普通二氧化硅纤芯,左右两纤芯填充了不同折射率的液体材料。根据光纤的消逝场耦合的模式理论,不对称相邻波导存在波长相关耦合。不同填充折射率的两纤芯与中间纤芯分别耦合,构成两个不同响应波长的光滤波器。通过选择合适光纤长度,可实现不同波长光的分离。采用全矢量有限元法分析了光纤的传输特性,讨论了填充不同折射率液体时波导间的模式耦合,得到了其匹配波长与耦合长度。基于光束传播法仿真发现,长度为4.88 mm的光纤能实现1.31/1.55 um波长光的解复用。     

Design of a new type high birefringence photonic crystal fiber

A High birefringence microstructure fiber with four big elliptical air holes is investigated by using the finite-difference frequency-domain （FDFD） method. Based on the numerical simulations, the influence of the air-hole size and pitch upon the mode birefringence is analyzed. The work may be helpful for the design and fabrication of high birefringence PCFs.     

Polarization Characteristics of Single-Mode Fiber Couplers

The polarization characteristics of fiber couplers made of birefringent single-mode fibers are studied. The effect of anisotropic interfiber coupling, fiber birefringence, angular misalignment of fibers, and twisting on the coupler characteristics are identified. The polarization characteristics of the couplers are compared with that of isolated uncoupled fibers of the same birefringence and length. The equivalent lumped element representations for three classes of fiber couplers are also presented.