Tapered fibers embedded in silica aerogel

We have embedded thin tapered fibers (with diameters down to 1 microm) in silica aerogel with low loss. The aerogel is rigid but behaves refractively like air, protecting the taper without disturbing light propagation along it. This enables a new class of fiber devices exploiting volume evanescent i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics letters 2009-09, Vol.34 (18), p.2724-2726
Main Authors: LIMIN XIAO, GROGAN, Michael D. W, LEON-SAVAL, Sergio G, WILLIAMS, Rhys, ENGLAND, Richard, WADSWORTH, Willam J, BIRKS, Tim A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied sciences
Circuit properties
Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits
Electronics
Exact sciences and technology
Fiber optics
Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications)
Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides
Optical and optoelectronic circuits
Optics
Physics
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Summary:We have embedded thin tapered fibers (with diameters down to 1 microm) in silica aerogel with low loss. The aerogel is rigid but behaves refractively like air, protecting the taper without disturbing light propagation along it. This enables a new class of fiber devices exploiting volume evanescent interactions with the aerogel itself or with dopants or gases in the pores.
ISSN:0146-9592
1539-4794
DOI:10.1364/OL.34.002724