UConn Physics Colloquium

A class of fibers, known as microstructured optical fibers (MOFs), which are characterized with wavelength scale refractive index features across its cross-section have been developed recently. These structures exhibit photonic bandgaps i.e. they forbid propagation of a certain band of wavelengths within them depending on the distribution of its index features. However by introducing in the central region a defect to an otherwise periodic structure, light (within the bandgap) could be localized in the defect region thereby mimicking a fiber core. The talk would focus on basic functional principle of optical wave guidance in such fibers vis-a-vis conventional fibers. Details of our own recent works on propagation, design and technology of 1D photonic band gap Bragg fibers would be described, in which our collaborators in Russian Academy of Science have succeeded in fabricating some of our designed fibers. Discussions on applications would include designs of dispersion compensating fibers, fibers for metro networks, nonlinear spectral broadening in them and generation of supercontinuum light.