Photonic crystal-liquid crystal fibers for single-polarization or high-birefringence guidance

Abstract

The dispersive characteristics of a photonic crystal fiber enhanced with a liquid crystal core are studied using a planewave expansion method. Numerical results demonstrate that by appropriate design such fibers can function in a single-mode/single-polarization operation, exhibit high- or low- birefringence behavior, or switch between an on-state and an off-state (no guided modes supported). All of the above can be controlled by the application of an external electric field, the specific liquid crystal anchoring conditions and the fiber structural parameters.

Photonic liquid crystal fibers — a new challenge for fiber optics and liquid crystals photonics

“…12 and similarly PLCFs for single-polarization or high-birefringence guidance were theoretically modelled in Ref. 13.…”

All-optical switch based on liquid-crystal infiltrated photonic bandgap fiber in transverse configuration

“…These materials are composed of organic molecules that in their nematic mesophase are on average oriented along a particular direction leading into macroscopic anisotropy in the optical properties of the material. The molecular orientation becomes random when the LC is heated beyond the threshold to the isotropic mesophase [2,3]. The refractive index contrast of the liquid and the fiber material can be high and thus lead to strong scattering of the light.…”

Chromatic dispersion of liquid-crystal infiltrated capillary tubes and photonic crystal fibers

“…Depending on the refractive index of the liquid, the guiding effect of the fiber can possibly be changed from guiding based on modified total internal reflection (mTIR), to guiding based on the photonic band gap effect, where the core has a lower refractive index than the effective index of the cladding. Also selective filling of PCFs, where only some of the holes are infiltrated, has experienced a considerable interest [2,3,4], because this can be used to tailor the optical characteristics of the PCF. Among the various liquids that can be infiltrated in a PCF, liquid crystals (LC) distinguishes themselves, because of their anisotropic nature, which allows the possibility of controlling the optical parameters of the waveguide by changing the orientation of the molecules [5].…”