Advances in mid-infrared low-loss hollow-core anti-resonant fibers

Fu, Q., Jasion, G.T., Xu, L., Richardson, D.J., Poletti, F., Davidson, I.A. and Wheeler, N.V. (2024) Advances in mid-infrared low-loss hollow-core anti-resonant fibers. Prudenzano, Francesco and Marciniak, Marian (eds.) In 2024 24th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON). IEEE Computer Society. 5 pp . (doi:10.1109/ICTON62926.2024.10647987).

Abstract

In a step forward in hollow-core fiber technology, our research has yielded two anti-resonant fibers that demonstrate record-low optical losses in the mid-infrared wavelength range. The first has a loss of 0.05 dB / m between 3.4-3.6 μ m and 0.24 dB / m between 4.5-4.6 μ m, setting a new benchmark for low loss in this spectral region. The second fiber has a transmission window at longer wavelength, 4.1-6 μ m, also with a notably low loss, measured as ∼ 7 dB / m at 6 μ m, but potentially with lower fundamental mode loss. These fibers are also capable of transmitting laser light, with the first efficiently transmitting the near-diffraction-limited light generated by a tunable optical parametric oscillator and delivering a peak power of 1.1 kW through 108 meters, with a coupling efficiency of ∼ 70 %. The second fiber facilitated the delivery of light from a quantum cascade laser, achieving a maximum delivered power of 3.4 mW at 6.045 μ m over a 0.9 -meter length. These advances represent a substantial improvement in reducing transmission loss, enhancing the overall efficiency and usability of MIR fiber systems, and demonstrates their potential for practical applications.

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Contributors

Author: G.T. Jasion

Author: L. Xu

Author: F. Poletti

Author: N.V. Wheeler

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