Tunable properties of light propagation in photonic liquid crystal fibers

Abstract

Tunable properties of light propagation in photonic crystal fibers filled with liquid crystals, called photonic liquid crystal fibers (PLCFs) are presented. The propagation properties of PLCFs strongly depend on contrast between refractive indices of the solid core (pure silica glass) and liquid crystals (LCs) filing the holes of the fiber. Due to relatively strong thermo-optical effect, we can change the refractive index of the LC by changing its temperature. Numerical analysis of light propagation in PLCF, based on two simulation methods, such as finite difference (FD) and multipole method (MM) is presented. The numerical results obtained are in good agreement with our earlier experimental results presented elsewhere [1].

New-Generation Liquid Crystal Materials for Application in Infrared Region

“…At room temperature (20 • C), the material was again found to have low ordinary refractive indices, with values below those reported for fused silica for some spectral range. Such materials are desirable for use as an overlayer or cladding layer on fused silica waveguides [64][65][66]. So far, most of the known liquid crystal materials showing a similar effect were built from hydrocarbons without π-delocalized bonded groups [67,68].…”

“…High content of fluorine atoms in the molecule may have additional benefits. Such materials have been found to be used as a potential overlayer or cladding layer on fused silica waveguides [ 64 , 65 , 66 ]. Thus, it is possible to minimize dissipation losses.…”

Methodology of splicing large air filling factor suspended core photonic crystal fibres

“…Although strongly demanded, such splices are still one of the fundamen− tal issues for realistic PCF applications due to the completely different inner structure of SMFs and small core and/or large air filling factor PCFs which are considered for different appli− cations, such as gas and liquid spectroscopy [1], surface−plas− mon−resonance [2], nonlinear exploitation [3][4][5], sensors [6] including hybrid system PCFs air−holes filled with liquid crystal [7][8][9], fibre lasers [10] and others.…”