Fiber waveguides and methods of making the same
In general, in one aspect, the invention features an article including a high-power, low-loss fiber waveguide that includes alternating layers of different dielectric materials surrounding a core extending along a waveguide axis, the different dielectric materials including a polymer and a glass.
1. An article comprising:
a fiber waveguide comprising alternating layers of different materials surrounding a core extending along a longitudinal waveguide axis, wherein the alternating layers define a spiral structure in a cross-sectional plane normal to the longitudinal waveguide axis, and wherein the alternating layers define a radial variation in index of refraction sufficient to guide EM radiation within a first wavelength range along the longitudinal waveguide axis.
2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the spiral structure comprises a multilayer structure comprising at least two layers of the different materials encircling the core multiple times.
3. The article of the claim 1 , wherein the different materials comprise a high-index dielecric material and a low-index dielectric material, and wherein a ratio of the refractive index of the high-index material to that of the low-index material is greater than 1.5.
4. The article of claim 3 , wherein the ratio is greater than 1.8.
5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the different materials comprise a polymer and a chalcogenide glass.
6. The article of claim 5 , wherein the polymer comprises PES and the chalcogenide glass comprises As 2 Se 3 .
7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the inner most layer of the alternating layers has a thickness smaller than that of subsequent layers of the same material.
8. The article of claim 1 , wherein thicknesses of the alternating layers are selected to guide EM radiation along the waveguide axis at a wavelength of about 10.6 microns.
9. The article of claim 1 , wherein thicknesses of the alternating layers are selected to guide EM radiation along the waveguide axis at a wavelength in the range of about 8-12 microns.
10. The article of claim 1 , wherein thicknesses of the alternating layers are selected to guide EM radiation along the waveguide axis at a wavelength in the range of about 2-5 microns.
11. The article of claim 1 , wherein the core is hollow.
12. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber waveguide exhibits transmission losses smaller than about 1 dB/m at a selected wavelength for a straight length of the fiber.
13. The article of claim 12 , wherein the selected wavelength is in a range of about 0.75 to about 10.6 microns.
14. The article of claim 13 , wherein the selected wavelength is about 10.6 microns.
15. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber waveguide exhibits transmission losses smaller than about 1.5 dB at a selected wavelength when bent around a 90 degree turn with any bending radius within a range of about 4-10 cm.
16. The article of claim 15 , wherein the selected wavelength is in a range of about 0.75 to about 10.6 microns.
17. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber waveguide is capable of guiding EM radiation along the waveguide axis at power densities greater than or equal to about 300 W/cm 2 selected wavelength.
18. The article of claim 17 , wherein the selected wavelength is in a range of about 0.75 to about 10.6 microns.
19. The article of claim 18 , wherein the selected wavelength is about 10.6 microns.
20. The article of claim 17 , wherein the fiber waveguide is capable of guiding the EM radiation along the waveguide axis at power densities greater than or equal to about 300 W/cm 2 for the selected wavelength even when the fiber waveguide is smoothly bent around a 90 degree turn with a bent length of at least 0.3 m.
21. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber waveguide is capable of guiding the EM radiation along the waveguide axis at powers greater than or equal to about 25 W for a selected wavelength.
22. The article cf claim 21 , wherein the selected wavelength is in a range of about 0.75 to about 10.6 microns.
23. The article of claim 22 , wherein the selected wavelength is about 10.6 microns.
24. The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber waveguide is a photonic crystal fiber waveguide.
25. The article of claim 1 , wherein the refractive index for at least one of the alternating layers is larger than that for the core.
26. The article of claim 1 , wherein the refractive index for each of the alternating layers is larger than that for the core.
27. An article comprising:
a fiber waveguide comprising alternating layers of different materials surrounding a core extending along a waveguide axis, wherein the alternating layers define a spiral structure in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the waveguide axis,
wherein the different materials a comprise a high-index dielectric material and a low-index dielectric material, and wherein a ratio of refractive index of the high-index material to that of the low-index material is greater than 1.5.
28. An article comprising:
a fiber waveguide comprising alternating layers of different materials surrounding a core extending along a waveguide axis, wherein the alternating layers define a spiral structure in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the waveguide axis,
wherein the different materials comprise a polymer and a chalcogenide glass.
29. An article comprising:
a fiber waveguide comprising alternating layers of different materials surrounding a core extending along a waveguide axis, wherein the alternating layers define a spiral structure in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the waveguide axis,
wherein the inner most layer of the alternating layers has a thickness smaller than that of subsequent layers of the same material.
30. An article comprising:
a fiber waveguide comprising alternating layers of different materials surrounding a core extending along a longitudinal waveguide axis, wherein the alternating layers define a spiral structure in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the waveguide axis,
wherein the core is hollow, and
wherein the alternating layers define a radial variation in index of refraction sufficient to guide EM radiation within a first wavelength range along the longitudinal waveguide axis.
31. An article comprising:
a fiber waveguide comprising alternating layers of different materials surrounding a core extending along a waveguide axis, wherein the alternating layers define a spiral structure in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to the waveguide axis,
wherein the fiber waveguide is a photonic crystal fiber waveguide.
32. An article comprising:
a fiber waveguide comprising alternating layers of different materials surrounding a core extending along a waveguide axis, wherein the alternating layers define a spiral structure in a cross-sectional plaint perpendicular to the waveguide axis,
wherein the refractive index for a least one of the alternating layers is larger than that for the core.