6533b82dfe1ef96bd1291186

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Multicore optical fibres for astrophotonics

Tim A. BirksSergio G. Leon-savalJoss Bland-hawthornBrian Joseph ManganDominic F. MurphyJose L. CruzAntonio Diez

subject

Multi-core processorOptical fiberMaterials scienceMulti-mode optical fiberbusiness.industryCladding (fiber optics)Spectral linelaw.inventionSubwavelength-diameter optical fibreOpticsFiber Bragg gratinglawPhotonicsbusiness

description

We report progress towards multimode (MM) fibre filters for suppressing the OH emission that hinders ground-based observation of the early Universe. Fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) can filter these narrow spectral lines in single-mode (SM) fibres [1]. Implementing them in MM fibres well-matched to astronomical instruments requires transitions between the MM fibre and several SM fibres [2]. Such hand-crafted “photonic lanterns” require many identical FBGs to be made and spliced in place. Instead we are pursuing the idea in multicore (MC) fibres, Fig. 1(a). The FBG is written at once in all the SM cores. The fibre is jacketed with low-index glass and tapered to form the core and cladding of a MM fibre, giving a monolithic FBG filter with conventional MM ports. Such a device can stand alone, or be incorporated into more elaborate instruments [3, 4].

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2011-05-012011 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics Europe and 12th European Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO EUROPE/EQEC)
https://doi.org/10.1109/cleoe.2011.5943675