FAQ Photonic Crystal Fiber

HOLLOW-CORE PHOTONIC CRYSTAL FIBER

Is there a specific process to cleave your fibers ?

The process is very close to standard optical fiber. You can use standard cleaving tools such as stripper and cleaving pen, as they are compatible with our fiber outer diameter. Please find below a movie describing the cleaving process.

What are the differences between Kagome fiber and the Photonic bandgap (PBG) fiber ?

Unlike Photonic Bandgap fiber, Kagome fiber guides light via Inihibited Coupling between the core modes and those of fiber cladding. This guidance mechanism using Kagome fiber provides unique features such as more than 100 fold reduction of light-silica interaction compared to PBG fiber. It also allows broadband guidance and lower loss particularly in the lower part of the optical spectrum.

How do I couple light into your fiber ?

As with all other fibers you can use butt-coupling, free space coupling and even splicing. However, to fully benefit from our fiber capability you need to match both the numerical aperture and the mode field diameter of our fiber.

PATCHCORD

How to mount the patchcord coupling module?

The video below presents the different steps to mount the coupling module of GLO patchcord:

How fast and how I can couple to GLO patchcord with a coupling module?

The video below presents how to proceed to inject your laser beam into GLO patchcord thanks to coupling module:

How I can optimize the transmission efficiency through GLO patchcord?

The video below presents how to optimize the coupling efficiency into GLO patchcord thanks to coupling module:

BEAM DELIVERY

What kind of optical setup do I need to couple laser into GLOphotonics patchcord ?

We present below a standard setup for laser alignment and coupling info our patchcord :

What kind of lens should I use to couple laser into GLOphotonics patchcord?

Example : I want to optimize coupling of a 1030nm, 2.5mm beam diameter laser in a piece of PMC-C-Yb-7C?

We can read on the PMC-C-Yb-7C spec sheet : MFD=39um / NA=0.02

(1) f=2.5e-3 *(3.14*39e-6)/(4*1030e-9) = 74e-3= 74mm and (2) α=2.5e-3/(2*74e-3)=0.017 < 0.02

« But I can’t find exact 74mm lens in optical catalogue? »

Choose the closest lens and consider beam expander to maximize the coupling efficiency.

We found a 80mm focal lens : (1) D=80e-3*4*1030e-9/(39e-6*3.14)=2.69mm and α=2.69e-3/(2*80e-3)=0.017 < 0.02

So you can expend your beam to 2.69mm to maximize the coupling.

What kind of optical setup do I need to couple laser into GLOphotonics BDS?

What kind of vaccuum pump do I need to conect to the BDS?

It should be a dry pump (no lubricant should be allowed inside the BDS).

GLOphotonics recommend dry rotary pump for application below 10µJ (ultimate pressure <10-3 mbar).

Above 10µJ GLOphotonics recommand turbomolécular pump (ultimate pressure <10-6 mbar).

Should I let the vaccuum pump on all the time?

GLOphotonics recommend to do such. If it mandatory to switch the pump off from time to time please consider adding a vacuum valve in your setup.

What If I make a mistake and burn the fiber?

GLOphotonics offers refurbishement of its system for a small fraction of its price.

Please contact GLOphotonics, we will send you a Default Questionnary and quotation for service.

PMC

What’s a Photonic MicroCell ?

It’s a photonic component based on a hollow-core fiber within which a given gas is maintained at a given pressure. To keep the gas inside the fiber, the latter could be either spliced to standard singlemode fiber or attached to mechanical cells depending on the application and customer requirement.

How long does it take to fill the PMC ?

Of course it varies with a bunch of parameters (fiber length, core size, desired pressure….) but for most of the applications a couple of hours are sufficient to ensure a stable pressure into the PMC. For more details please look at this article (Dynamics of gas flow in hollow core photonic bandgap fiber).

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