Photonic Crystal Fibers

Photonic crystal-liquid crystal fibers for

single-polarization or high-birefringence

guidance

D. C. Zografopoulos, E. E. Kriezis, and T. D. Tsiboukis

Applied and Computational Electromagnetics Laboratory, Department of Electrical and

Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki GR-54124, Greece.

dzogra@auth.gr, mkriezis@auth.gr, tsibukis@auth.gr

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.

Ð'© 2006 Optical Society of America

OCIS codes: (060.2400) Fiber properties; (230.3720) Liquid-crystal devices; (060.2420)

Fibers, polarization-maintaining; (060.2430) Fibers, single-mode; (999.999) Photonic crystal

fibers.

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(C) 2006 OSA 23 January 2006 / Vol. 14, No. 2 / OPTICS EXPRESS 914

#9848 - $15.00 USD Received 2 December 2005; revised 8 January 2006; accepted 16 January 2006

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