Characterization of microstructured optical fibers for wideband dispersion compensation

Abstract

Microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) with small hole-to-hole spacing and large airholes are designed to compensate the anomalous dispersion and the dispersion slope of single-mode fibers. The geometrical parameters that characterize triangular MOFs are chosen to optimize the fiber length and the compensation over a wide wavelength range. A proper design of the photonic crystal fiber geometry allows us to achieve dispersion values of approximately -1700 ps nm(-1) km(-1) at 1550 nm and to compensate the dispersion of standard fibers within +/- 0.5 ps nm(-1) km(-1) over a 100-nm range. The MOF dispersion properties have been studied by means of a numerical simulator for modal analysis based on the finite-element method.

Numerical modeling of photonic crystal fibers

“…As the air-hole diameter is increased, the influence of waveguide dispersion becomes stronger. We can see that it is possible to shift the zero dispersion wavelength to visible to near-infrared (IR) regions by appropriately changing the geometrical parameters such as hole pitch and hole diameter [73], [74] and that a PCF with a very small hole pitch and a large air-hole diameter has large normal dispersion in the 1.55-µm wavelength range [48]. In addition, Fig.…”

Amplifiers and Lasers in PCF Configurations

“…It may become possible to design highly different optical signal processing components by combining RE-doped and PCF technology. This may be done using either the high anomalous dispersion in PCFs [27] or the normal dispersion predicted in dispersion compensating microstructured fibers [28].…”

Single-Polarization Single-Mode Photonic Band Gap Fiber

“…It was already demonstrated that PCFs can be used in numerous applications, including chromatic dispersion compensation [2] and supercontinuum generation [3], and to improve the efficiency of fiber lasers [4]. The polarization properties of PCFs are also of particular interest.…”