Abstract

The development of optical fibers with two-dimensional patterns of air holes running down their length has reinvigorated research in the field of fiber optics. It has greatly–and fundamentally–broadened the range of specialty optical fibers, by demonstrating that optical fibers can be more “special” than previously thought. Fibers with air cores have made it possible to deliver energetic femtosecond-scale optical pulses, transform limited, as solitons, using single-mode fiber. Other fibers with anomalous dispersion at visible wavelengths have spawned a new generation of single-mode optical supercontinuum sources, spanning visible and near-infrared wavelengths and based on compact pump sources. A third example is in the field of fiber lasers, where the use of photonic crystal fiber concepts has led to a new hybrid laser technology, in which the very high numerical aperture available sing air holes have enabled fibers so short they are more naturally held straight than bent. This paper describes some of the basic physics and technology behind these developments, illustrated with some of the impressive demonstrations of the past 18 months.

© 2008 AIP