Investigation of plasma cladded optical fiber for dynamic manipulations of its propagation properties

Abstract

Plasma cladded optical fiber (PCOF) is numerically investigated which exhibits tunable guiding properties. The effect of plasma frequency on mode field diameter, longitudinal propagation constant and modal dispersion are investigated thoroughly. It is shown that propagation features of PCOFs could be manipulated dynamically (online) by varying the plasma frequency; suggesting its potential applications in addressing coupling issues and dispersion management. Possibility of manipulation of propagation constant carries the potential for applications in delays and buffers. It is further observed that the nature of dispersion curve of HE11 mode of PCOF is usual but could be made more flattened compared to the dielectric fiber by using appropriate plasma frequency which is promising for dispersion management. As fibers with tunable guiding properties have numerous potential applications in optical processing and integrated optics, proposed work should be of high interest from the fundamental as well as engineering point of view.