Multimaterial preform coextrusion for robust chalcogenide optical fibers and tapers
Citation
Tao, G., Shabahang, S., Banaei, E.‐H., Kaufman, J. J., & Abouraddy, A. F. (2012). Multimaterial preform coextrusion for robust chalcogenide optical fibers and tapers. Optics Letters, 37(13), 2758–2760. https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.37.002758
Keywords
- chalcogenide glass
- optical fibers
- infrared
- extrusion
- preforms
- polymer
- robust
- tapers
- nanotapers
Brief
A novel multimaterial extrusion method creates hybrid chalcogenide/polymer preforms that are drawn into robust infrared fibers and tapers.
Summary
This article presents a novel method for fabricating robust chalcogenide glass fiber preforms using a one-step multimaterial extrusion process. This process involves extruding a billet made of thermoplastic polymer and chalcogenide glass, resulting in a preform with a built-in polymer jacket. This method allows the creation of strong composite fibers and tapers with submicrometer core diameters.
Traditionally, the production of chalcogenide glass fibers has been limited by their fragility and difficulty in handling. This article addresses this limitation by introducing a new approach to preform fabrication that uses multimaterial coextrusion.
The key advantage of this process is the integration of a thermally compatible polymer jacket within the preform. This jacket provides mechanical support during both the preform drawing process and subsequent handling, resulting in more robust fibers.
Furthermore, this method allows for the production of robust tapers with submicrometer core diameters. This is achieved without the need to remove the polymer jacket, highlighting its compatibility with the chalcogenide glass. The authors demonstrate the creation of tapers with core diameters as small as 25 nm using this method.
The article concludes by emphasizing the potential of this novel fabrication process to overcome the mechanical limitations of chalcogenide glass fibers and pave the way for optimized optical properties in nonlinear applications.
Origin: https://www2.creol.ucf.edu/Research/Publications/5603.pdf