Abstract
A method to fabricate all-in-fiber liquid microcells has been demonstrated which allows for the incorporation of complex hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HCPCFs). The approach is based on a mechanical splicing method in which the hollow-core fibers are pigtailed with telecoms fibers to yield devices that have low insertion losses, are highly compact, and do not suffer from evaporation of the core material. To isolate the PCF cores for the infiltration of low index liquids, a pulsed CO2 laser cleaving technique has been developed which seals only the very ends of the cladding holes, thus minimizing degradation of the guiding properties at the coupling region. The efficiency of this integration method has been verified via strong cascaded Raman scattering in both toluene (high index) core capillaries and ethanol (low index) core HCPCFs, for power thresholds up to six orders of magnitude lower than previous results. We anticipate that this stable, robust all-fiber integration approach will open up new possibilities for the exploration of optofluidic interactions.
Highlights
All-in-fiber microcells provide a useful platform from which to investigate the interaction between light and fluidic media [1,2,3,4,5]
A method to fabricate all-in-fiber liquid microcells has been demonstrated which allows for the incorporation of complex hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HCPCFs)
The approach is based on a mechanical splicing method in which the hollow-core fibers are pigtailed with telecoms fibers to yield devices that have low insertion losses, are highly compact, and do not suffer from evaporation of the core material
Summary
All-in-fiber microcells provide a useful platform from which to investigate the interaction between light and fluidic media [1,2,3,4,5]. Compared to the traditional bulk gas cells and liquid cuvettes, fibers with hollow micro-scale cores can provide high intensities over much longer interaction lengths As such, they can facilitate strong light-fluid interactions that are highly desirable for the development of efficient laser devices [1,2,3,4,5,6], optofluidic sensors [7, 8], and nonlinear optical applications [9,10,11,12,13]. To allow for selective filling into the cores of HCPCFs, we have developed a simple and effective method to seal the cladding holes using a pulsed CO2 laser, which minimizes any disruption to the guiding properties at the coupling region The suitability of this integration approach for wide ranging materials investigations is demonstrated through efficient cascaded Raman scattering both in high index (toluene) core CFs and low index (ethanol) core HCPCFs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
