Dual-core fiber as a tunable directional coupler

Ultra-broadband 3-dB coupler based on dual-hollow-core polymer fiber covering E + S + C + L + U band

An ultra-broadband 3-dB coupler based on a polymer dual-hollow-core anti-resonant fiber (DHC-ARF) is designed to work in the E + S + C + L + U communication band. By incorporating two elliptical-like cores and modulating the air gap between the two cores, the wavelength and polarization dependence of the DHC-ARF-based coupler is reduced effectively. The feasibility of using a 1.46 cm long DHC-ARF as the ultra-broadband coupler for the operating bandwidth of 400 nm in the range between 1.33 µm and 1.73 µm is demonstrated theoretically. The coupling ratio of each polarized mode stabilizes at 50 ± 2% and the coupling ratio difference between the two polarized modes changes within ±0.6%. This DHC-ARF coupler which is made of a polymer can be fabricated by high-resolution 3D printing. Compared to a silica-based DHC-ARF coupler, the polymer-based DHC-ARF coupler is easier to manufacture and the total loss of the latter is only 0.041 ± 0.006 dB in the operating bandwidth. The polymer hollow-core fiber coupler boasting an ultra-broadband, short component length, and low loss is very promising in next-generation, high-speed, and large-capacity hollow-core fiber communication systems.

Compact single-polarization coupler based on a dual-hollow-core anti-resonant fiber

A compact single-polarization (SP) coupler based on a dual-hollow-core anti-resonant fiber (DHC-ARF) is proposed. By introducing a pair of thick-wall tubes into a ten-tube single-ring hollow-core anti-resonant fiber, the core is separated into two cores to form the DHC-ARF. More importantly, by introducing the thick-wall tubes, dielectric modes in the thick wall are excited to inhibit the mode-coupling of secondary eigen-state of polarization (ESOP) between two cores while the mode-coupling of the primary ESOP can be enhanced, and thus the coupling length (Lc) of the secondary ESOP is greatly increased and that of primary ESOP is reduced to several millimeters. Simulation results show that the Lc of the secondary ESOP is up to 5549.26 mm and one of the primary ESOP is only 3.12 mm at 1550 nm through optimizing fiber structure parameters. By using a 1.53-mm-long DHC-ARF, a compact SP coupler can be implemented with a polarization extinction ratio (PER) less than - 20 dB within the wavelength range from 1547 nm to 1551.4 nm, and the lowest PER of - 64.12 dB is achieved at 1550 nm. Its coupling ratio (CR) is stable within 50 ± 2% in the wavelength range from 1547.6 nm to 1551.4 nm. The novel compact SP coupler provides a reference for developing HCF-based polarization-dependent components for use in the high-precision miniaturized resonant fiber optic gyroscope.

All-fiber low-loss connector for accessing both close cores of twin-core fiber

A novel all-fiber connector is proposed for connecting each core of a twin-core fiber (TCF) to a single-core fiber (SCF) core simultaneously and accessing independently the both close cores of the TCF. The connector is mainly composed of two cascaded pieces of collinear four-core fiber (CFCF). The two close optical fields launched from the TCF are separated into two far apart optical fields, so that each optical field could be butt-coupled into one of the cores of one gemini fiber segment, which has two single-mode SCF pigtails. For the simulated example, the center distance of the two optical fields is increased from 16 μm to more than 90 μm, the cross-talk is -37 dB, and the power loss is 0.056 dB. The feasibility of the strategy is partially demonstrated experimentally by fabricating a CFCF by groove & stack & draw method and one gemini fiber segment with pigtails by flame-brushing technology.

Optical bandpass filter from a curved segment of a detuned two-core fiber

We present the use of a dual-core fiber as a bandpass filter. Our device is based on the fact that intrinsic detuning between the propagation constants of the two cores can be compensated for in a controlled manner by use of a loop. This compensation is made to occur for a specific frequency band, so that the resulting device acts as a bandpass filter.

Practical coupling device based on a two-core optical fiber

A practical coupling device that relies on a dual-core fiber in a loop configuration is presented. Its coupling properties are analyzed in terms of the optical path difference between the cores, which is controlled by the rotation of the fiber about its axis and by a small twist applied to it along the loop. The device actually acts as an anisotropic coupler, and the coupled power can be perfectly controlled from 0-100% by proper adjustment of the loop. A simple implementation of the device was used in the fabrication of a compact single-fiber Michelson interferometer.