Claims
- 1. A method for making a photonic crystal fiber having an axial optical modulation along a waveguide axis, comprising:
heating a photonic crystal fiber preform to a draw temperature; drawing the photonic crystal fiber from the preform; and perturbing the photonic crystal fiber preform during the drawing to produce an axial optical modulation in the photonic crystal fiber along the waveguide axis.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the photonic crystal fiber comprises a first layer extending along the waveguide axis having a first refractive index, n1 and a second layer extending along the waveguide axis adjacent the first layer having a second refractive index, n2, and |n1−n2|≧0.1
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein |n1−n2|≧0.3
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the photonic crystal fiber is a Bragg fiber.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the photonic crystal fiber has a hollow core.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the photonic crystal fiber is related to a drawing velocity and wherein perturbing the fiber includes varying the fiber diameter by varying the drawing velocity.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein perturbing the photonic crystal fiber includes varying the drawing temperature along the waveguide axis to vary the photonic crystal fiber diameter.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the photonic crystal fiber is illuminated with radiation during drawing to vary the drawing temperature along the waveguide axis.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the radiation is laser radiation.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the photonic crystal fiber is a hollow fiber.
- 11. The method of claim 10, wherein perturbing the fiber includes varying the pressure inside the hollow fiber.
- 12. The method of claim 1, wherein perturbing the fiber includes varying the pressure outside the photonic crystal fiber.
- 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the axial optical modulation is a periodic modulation.
- 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the axial optical modulation forms a fiber Bragg grating in the photonic crystal fiber.
- 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the axial optical modulation is an aperiodic modulation.
- 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the axial optical modulation forms an optical cavity in the photonic crystal fiber.
- 17. A method for forming an axial optical modulation along a waveguide axis of a fiber waveguide, the method comprising:
providing a fiber waveguide having a hollow core; introducing a core medium into the hollow core; and exposing the fiber waveguide to an agent that causes the core medium to form an axial optical modulation along the waveguide axis of the fiber waveguide.
- 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the core medium comprises a plurality of similarly-shaped objects.
- 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the similarly-shaped objects are polymeric objects.
- 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the similarly-shaped objects are spherical objects.
- 21. The method of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the similarly-shaped objects are positioned adjacent one another in the hollow core.
- 22. The method of claim 18, wherein exposing the fiber waveguide to an agent includes heating the fiber to cause the fiber waveguide to conform to the plurality of similarly-shaped objects in the hollow core.
- 23. The method of claim 17, further comprising removing at least a portion of the core medium after exposing the waveguide fiber to the agent.
- 24. The method of claim 23, wherein removing the core medium includes providing a removal agent in the core that removes the portion of the core medium.
- 25. The method of claim 17, wherein the core medium is a photosensitive medium.
- 26. The method of claim 17, wherein exposing the core medium to an agent includes illuminating portions of the core medium to radiation.
- 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the radiation is electromagnetic radiation.
- 28. The method of claim 27, wherein the radiation is electron beam radiation.
- 29. The method of claim 26, wherein the radiation comprises an interference pattern.
- 30. The method of claim 26, wherein the radiation causes an optical property of the exposed portions of the core medium to be different from the optical properties of portions not exposed to radiation.
- 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the optical property of the core medium is the refractive index of the core medium.
- 32. The method of claim 30, wherein the optical property of the core medium is the structure of the core medium.
- 33. The method of claim 16, wherein the core medium is a block co-polymer.
- 34. A fiber waveguide having a waveguide axis, comprising:
a first portion extending along the waveguide axis having a refractive index n1; and a second portion extending along the waveguide axis having a refractive index n2; wherein |n1−n2|≧0.3 and the fiber waveguide has an axial optical modulation extending along the waveguide axis.
- 35. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the axial optical modulation has an amplitude of at least 0.1%.
- 36. The fiber waveguide of claim 35, wherein the amplitude of the axial optical modulation is at least 5%.
- 37. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the first portion is a core and n1>n2.
- 38. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the fiber waveguide is a photonic crystal fiber.
- 39. The fiber waveguide of claim 38, wherein the photonic crystal fiber has a hollow core.
- 40. The fiber waveguide of claim 38, wherein the photonic crystal fiber is a Bragg fiber.
- 41. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the first portion includes chalcogenide glass.
- 42. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the axial optical modulation includes a structural modulation
- 43. The fiber waveguide of claim 41, wherein structural modulation is a modulation in the fiber waveguide diameter.
- 44. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the axial optical modulation is a modulation in the fiber waveguide refractive index.
- 45. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the axial optical modulation forms a Bragg reflector in the fiber waveguide.
- 46. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the axial optical modulation forms an optical cavity in the fiber waveguide.
- 47. The fiber waveguide of claim 46, wherein the optical cavity has a resonant wavelength, λ, and a modal volume less than or equal to 500 λ3.
- 48. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the axial optical modulation is a periodic axial optical modulation.
- 49. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the axial optical modulation is an aperiodic axial optical modulation.
- 50. The fiber waveguide of claim 34, wherein the second portion surrounds the first portion and the first portion includes a nonlinear material.
- 51. An optical fiber having a waveguide axis, comprising:
a core extending along the waveguide axis having a refractive index, n1; and a cladding extending along the waveguide axis and surrounding the core, the cladding having a refractive index n2<n1; and an axial optical modulation extending along the waveguide axis forming an optical cavity having a resonant wavelength λ, and a modal volume of less than or equal to 100 λ3.
- 52. The optical fiber of claim 51, wherein the optical cavity has a modal volume of less than or equal to 10 λ3.
- 53. The optical fiber of claim 51, wherein the optical cavity has a modal volume of less than or equal to 1 λ3.
- 54. The optical fiber of claim 53, wherein the axial optical modulation has an amplitude of at least 5%.
- 55. The optical fiber of claim 51, wherein the core includes a chalcogenide glass.
- 56. The optical waveguide of claim 51, wherein the core includes a nonlinear material.
- 57. A fiber waveguide device, comprising:
a fiber waveguide having a waveguide axis, wherein the fiber waveguide includes a first portion extending along the waveguide axis having a refractive index n1, and a second portion extending along the waveguide axis having a refractive index n2, wherein |n1−n2|≧0.3, an axial optical modulation forming an optical cavity in the fiber waveguide; wherein during operation an input signal propagating in the fiber waveguide having a power between a first power value, P1, and a second power value, P2, causes the fiber waveguide to produce an output signal whose output signal power varies nonlinearly with respect to the input signal power.
- 58. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein an input signal power between P1 and P2 causes the fiber waveguide to produce an output signal whose output signal power varies discontinuously with respect to the input signal power.
- 59. The waveguide device of claim 57, wherein an input signal power below P1 causes the fiber waveguide to produce an output signal whose output signal power is below an output power value Pout,1, and wherein an input signal power above P2 causes the fiber waveguide to produce an output signal whose output signal power is above an output power value Pout,2, wherein Pout,2/Pout,1 is at least 2.
- 60. The waveguide device of claim 59, Pout,2/Pout,1 is at least 5.
- 61. The waveguide device of claim 60, wherein the ratio Pout,2/Pout,1 at least 10.
- 62. The waveguide device of claim 60, wherein the ratio Pout,2/Pout,1 is at least 100.
- 63. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein the ratio P1/P2>0.9.
- 64. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein the optical cavity has a quality factor Q and P1 is less than or equal to 108 W/Q2.
- 65. The fiber waveguide device of claim 64, wherein P1 is less than or equal to 106 W/Q2.
- 66. The fiber waveguide device of claim 65, wherein P1 is less than or equal to 104 W/Q2.
- 67. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein the axial optical modulation forms more than one optical cavity.
- 68. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein the axial optical modulation includes a refractive index modulation.
- 69. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein the axial optical modulation includes a structural modulation.
- 70. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein the fiber waveguide includes a nonlinear material.
- 71. The fiber waveguide device of claim 70, wherein the nonlinear material is photorefractive material.
- 72. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein the fiber waveguide is a photonic crystal fiber.
- 73. The fiber waveguide device of claim 72, wherein the photonic crystal fiber is a Bragg fiber.
- 74. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein the first portion is a core and n1>n2.
- 75. The fiber waveguide device of claim 57, wherein the fiber waveguide includes a chalcogenide glass.
- 76. A photonic crystal fiber having a waveguide axis, comprising:
a core region extending along the waveguide axis; a confinement region extending along the waveguide axis and surrounding the core and comprising a chalcogenide glass; and an axial optical modulation extending along waveguide axis forming an optical cavity in the photonic crystal fiber.
- 77. The photonic crystal fiber of claim 76, wherein the photonic crystal fiber is a one-dimensionally periodic photonic crystal fiber.
- 78. The photonic crystal fiber of claim 77, wherein the photonic crystal fiber is a Bragg fiber.
- 79. The photonic crystal fiber of claim 76, wherein the photonic crystal fiber is a two-dimensionally periodic photonic crystal fiber.
- 80. The photonic crystal fiber of claim 79, wherein the confinement region is an inhomogeneous region.
- 81. The photonic crystal fiber of claim 80, wherein the confinement region includes a holey region having one or more holes extending along the waveguide axis..
- 82. The photonic crystal fiber of claim 76, wherein the axial optical modulation has an amplitude of at least 0.01%.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to the following: U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/283,459, entitled “DIELECTRIC MATERIALS FOR MANUFACTURING OMNI-DIRECTIONAL WAVEGUIDE,” to Emilia Anderson et al., filed Apr. 12, 2001; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/304,229, entitled “HIGH Q-CAVITIES IN OMNIGUIDE AND BRAGG FIBERS,” to Marin Soljaĉić et al., filed Jul. 10, 2001; and, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/291,106, entitled “AXIALLY MODULATED PHOTONIC BANDGAP FIBERS, METAL-COATED FIBERS, AND METHODS OF THEIR FABRICATION,” to Marin Soljaĉić et al., filed May 15, 2001; The contents of all the above are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60283459 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
|
60304229 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
|
60291106 |
May 2001 |
US |