Design of a Tapered Lens for Semiconductor Laser to Single-Mode Fiber Coupling

The theoretical investigation of the coupling efficiency of a laser diode to a single mode fiber via a hemispherical lens on the tip of the tapered fiber in the presence of possible transverse offset and angular mismatch is reported.Without the misalignment,coupling efficiency increases with the decreasing of taper length.With the misalignment,this relation is that the coupling efficiency decreases with each kind of offset.

Temperature sensor based on a single-mode tapered optical fiber

A temperature sensor is demonstrated and fabricated by coating the single-mode tapered optical fiber with temperature-sensitive silicone rubber. It works on the change of the evanescent fields in the tapered optical fiber. Small changes in the refractive index of coating film greatly influence the power of evanescent fields, which modulate the transmission optical power in the waist region. The range of temperature measured is from -20℃ to 70 ℃. The results show that the temperature sensor has high temperature sensitivity （0.012 mW/℃） and good repeatability.

Frequency-stabilized Yb：fiber comb with a tapered single-mode fiber

We demonstrate a stable Yb：fiber frequency comb with supercontinuum generation by using a specially designed tapered single-mode fiber, in which a spectrum spanning from 500 nm to 1500 nm is produced. The carrier-envelope offset signal of the Yb：fiber comb is measured with a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 40 dB and a linewidth narrower than 120 kHz. The repetition rate and carrier-envelope offset signals are simultaneously phase locked to a microwave reference frequency.

Experimental demonstration of single-mode fiber coupling using adaptive fiber coupler

Coupling plane wave into a single-mode fiber （SMF） with high and steady coupling efficiency is crucial for fiber- based free-space laser systems, where random angular jitters are the main influencing factors of fiber coupling. In this paper, we verified a new adaptive-optic device named adaptive fiber coupler （AFC） which could compensate angular jitters and improve the SMF coupling efficiency in some degree. Experiments of SMF coupling under the angular jitter situation using AFC have been achieved. Stochastic parallel gradient descent （SPGD） algorithm is employed as the control strategy, of which the iteration rate is 625 Hz. In closed loop, the coupling efficiency keeps above 65% when angular errors are below 80/3tad. The compensation bandwidth is 35 Hz at sine-jitter of 15 ~rad amplitude with average coupling efficiency of above 60%. Also, experiments with simulated turbulence have been studied. The average coupling efficiency increases from 31.97% in open loop to 61.33% in closed loop, and mean square error （MSE） of coupling efficiency drops from 7.43% to 1.75%.

Wavelength dependent loss of splice of single-mode fibers

After reviewing three different definitions of mode field diameter of single-mode fibers, coupled efficiency calculation methods associated with lateral offset, longitude separation and wavelength, the effects produced by them, and the influences of splicing defects were discussed in detail. The regularities of the effects were studied according to the first order derivation of couple efficiency formula, and a simplified formula for couple efficiency calculation was presented under the circumstance of slight misalignment, with respect to wavelength, 2, and in a good agreement with the theoretical model. The simplified formula provides a new but simple approach to evaluate wavelength dependent couple efficiency of single-mode fibers. Theoretical analyses and numerical calculations show that, when those defects exist, the wavelength produces additional effects on the couple loss that growth of wavelength causes an increase on the couple efficiency for the lateral offset or longitude separation whereas lessens the couple efficiency due to angular misalignment or mode fields mismatching, and that the wavelength degrades the couple efficiency distinctly when λ≥2.5 μm whereas it distorts the couple slightly in range of λ≤2λ≤2 μm.

Zinc-oxide/PDMS-clad tapered fiber saturable absorber for passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser

We propose and demonstrate a passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser(EDFL)based on zinc-oxide/polydimethylsiloxane(ZnO/PDMS)saturable absorber(SA)that evanescently interacts with the light on a tapered fiber.The ZnO/PDMS composite is coated on the whole surface of the tapered fiber to guarantee the maximum efficiency of the SA device,with a measured insertion loss of 0.87 dB and a modulation depth of 6.4%.The proposed laser can generate soliton mode-locking operation at a threshold power of 33.07 mW.The generated output pulse yields a repetition rate and pulse width of 9.77 MHz and 1.03 ps,respectively.These results indicate that the proposed ZnO/PDMS-clad tapered fiber could be useful as an efficient,compatible,and low-cost SA device for ultrafast laser applications.

Single-mode antiresonant terahertz fiber based on mode coupling between core and cladding

Based on the index-induced mode coupling between the higher-order mode in core and the fundamental mode in cladding tubes,the single-mode operation can be realized in any antiresonant fibers(ARFs)when satisfying that the area ratio of cladding tube and core is about 0.46:1,and this area ratio also should be modified according to the shape and the number of cladding tubes.In the ARF with nodal core boundary,the mode in core also can couple with the mode in the wall of core boundary,which can further enhance the suppression of high-order mode.Accordingly,an ARF with conjoint semi-elliptical cladding tubes realizes a loss of higher-order mode larger than 30 dB/m;simultaneously,a loss of fundamental mode loss less than 0.4 dB/m.

FAST EVALUATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SINGLE-MODE OPTICAL FIBERS

This paper describes a method for fast engineering evaluation of the transmission characteristicsof single-mode optical fibers.A versatile microcomputer program is presented which can be utilized to ana-lyze mode field characteristics of single-mode fibers with arbitrary refractive index profiles.Our computationshows that the mathematical algorithm and the corresponding programs developeod in this paper are rela-tively simple and accurate enough for the engineenring design of single-mode fibers for optical communica-tion systems.

Tapered optical fiber DNA biosensor for detecting Leptospira DNA

Objective: To establish a DNA detection platform based on a tapered optical fiber to detect Leptospira DNA by targeting the leptospiral secY gene.Methods: The biosensor works on the principle of light propagating in the special geometry of the optical fiber tapered from a waist diameter of 125 to 12 μm. The fiber surface was functionalized through a cascade of chemical treatments and the immobilization of a DNA capture probe targeting the secY gene. The presence of the target DNA was determined from the wavelength shift in the optical transmission spectrum.Results: The biosensor demonstrated good sensitivity, detecting Leptospira DNA at 0.001 ng/μL, and was selective for Leptospira DNA without cross-reactivity with non-leptospiral microorganisms. The biosensor specifically detected DNA that was specifically amplified through the loop-mediated isothermal amplification approach.Conclusions: These findings warrant the potential of this platform to be developed as a novel alternative approach to diagnose leptospirosis.

Single-polarization single-mode hollow-core negative curvature fiber with nested U-type cladding elements

Hollow-core negative curvature fibers(HC-NCFs)have become one of the research hotspots in the field of optical fiber because of their potential applications in the data and energy transmissions.In this work,a new kind of single-polarization single-mode HC-NCF with nested U-type cladding elements is proposed.To achieve the single-polarization single-mode transmission,we use two different silica tubes in thickness,which satisfy the resonance and anti-resonance conditions on the U-type cladding elements and the cladding tubes,respectively.Besides,the elliptical elements are introduced to achieve good single-mode performance.By studying the influences of the structure parameters on the propagation characteristics,the optimized structure parameters are obtained.The simulation results show that when the wavelength is fixed at 1550 nm,the single-polarization single-mode transmission is achieved,with the polarization extinction ratio of 25749 and minimum high-order mode extinction ratio of 174.Furthermore,the confinement loss is only 0.0015 dB/m.

A tunable comb filter using single-mode/multimode/polarization-maintaining-fiber-based Sagnac fiber loop

A novel tunable comb filter composed of a single-mode/multimode/polarization-maintaining-fiber-based Sagnac fiber loop is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The filter tunability is achieved by rotating the polarization controller. The spectral shift is dependent on rotation direction and the position of the polarization controller. In addition, the adjustable range achieved by rotating the half-wave-plate polarization controller is twice higher than that of the quarter-wave-plate one.

Experimental measurement and numerical analysis of fused taper shape for optical fiber coupler

To find out the effect of the shape of fused taper region on the optical fiber coupler, the fiber couplers were fabricated at different drawing speeds with a six-axes fiber coupler machine. The results, which were obtained fi＇om the shape of fused taper region measured with microscope, show that there is a close correlation between the cone angle and optical performance of fiber coupler. High-performance fiber coupler cannot be obtained until rheological shape is controlled accurately. The numerical analysis model, which was built based on generalized Maxwell viscoelastic theory, is resolved with ANSYS software. The calculated results accord with the experimental data. It can apply a theoretic basis for forecasting the shape of fiber coupler fabricated under the conditions of different technological parameters.

A two-stage amplifier of laser eavesdropping model based on waveguide fiber taper

In order to improve ability of amplification about optical arrival angle in laser eavesdropping system, and enhance receiving field of view (FOV) of laser eavesdropping system, this paper presents a new multistage amplifier laser eavesdropping model based on waveguide fiber taper. First of all, taking about four-quadrant (4QD) laser eavesdropping model as an example, from the theoretical view, analyses factors that, currently, laser eavesdropping system face many restrictive factors during practical applications. Besides, from the receiving FOV and ability of amplification about arrival angle of incoming optical axis angles, systematically analyses advantages of multi-stage amplifier model. What’s more,through constructing laser eavesdropping test platform, we demonstrate Signal to Noise Ratio(SNR) of two stage amplification model is eventually promoted to 6-10 dB compared with one amplifying model,especially in low and high audio level, the advantages is more obvious.

High-frequency fused high-voltage arc tapering process power supply for of fiber

The performance of the optical fiber coupler prepared with fused biconical taper method is determined by the quality of fused stretching. Besides, the stable high-temperature heat source is the essential guarantee for fused stretching process to go smoothly. The way of using AC （alternating current） arc as the heat source is proposed in this article. In addition, the paper also introduces high-frequency high-voltage power supply with the characteristics of constant current and restricted voltage, which is composed of preceding voltage regulation part and following inverter.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensor based on fused biconical taper zone of optical fiber

In this paper, a novel surface-enhanced Raman scattering （SERS） sensor combined with fused biconical taper fiber （FBTF） and film coated with silver sols is proposed. This structure is designed to significantly increase the SERS active surface when the length of the taper is increased and the radius is reduced, since the penetration depth is inversely proportional to the taper radius and proportional to the taper length according to the fiber-optic evanescent-wave theory. Based on the SERS sensing principle, the feasibility of FBTF sensor is analyzed in this paper. As a result, the Raman spectrum of R6G is obtained from the fused biconical taper zone surface coating with the silver sols in our experiments. The detected concentration is up to 10-7mol/L.

Realization of Tapered Waveguide by Stretching the Rod Waveguide

By stretching the rod waveguide with different velocities in opposite directions,the tapered waveguide can be fabricated.In condition of taking no account of volume expansion caused by heating and under the assumptions of volume conservation,the rod waveguide can be stretched freely in the heated region without being stretched outside of the heated region. A model,which shows the relation of the transition shape and the two factors,that is the ratio of two velocity and the heated region length,is presented for the shape of the taper transition through mathematic deduction.Based on this model,a desired tapered waveguide can be fabricated.The tapered waveguide are widely used for fabricating tapered fiber couplers and sensors.In addition,the conclusion can be used for fabricating fused fiber coupler.

Single-Mode Modified Tapered Fiber Structure Functionalized With GO-PVA Composite Layer for Relative Humidity Sensing

A sensitive tapered optical fiber sensor incorporating graphene oxide(GO)and polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)composite film for the rapid measurement of changes in relative humidity was proposed and experimentally demonstrated.The sensing principle was based on the intensity modulation of the transmitted light induced by the refractive index changes of the sensitive coatings.The sensing region was obtained by tapering a section of single-mode optical fiber(SMF)from its original 125µm diameter down to 9.03µm.The tapered structure was then modified through deposition of GO/PVA nanocomposites by using the dip-coating technique.The field emission scanning electron microscope(FESEM)and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure of the composite film.As evidenced by a Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)analysis,the presence of oxygen functional groups(such as−OH and COOH)on the GO structure enabled the attachment of PVA molecules through hydrogen bonding and strong adhesion between GO/PVA layers.The performance of the sensor was tested over a wide range(20%RH to 99.9%RH)of relative humidity.The sensor showed a good response with its signal increasing linearly with the surrounding humidity.The tapered optical fiber sensor with the coating of GO/0.3g PVA achieved the highest sensitivity[0.5290RH(%)].The stability,repeatability,reversibility,as well as response time of the designated sensor were also measured and analyzed.

Measurement of refrative index based on fiber Mach-Zehnder interference

In order to detect the refractive index of liquid with high precision,based on modular interference,Mach-Zehnder optical fiber refractive rate sensor was studied.Sensor structure is composed of ordinary single-mode fiber and multimode fiber,according to the singlemode multimode singlemode sequence to fuse together,and the fused optical fiber is used to process the taper.As a result,the diameter of the sensing head is about 10μm.Experimental results show that,as liquid refractive index increases range from 1.33 to 1.35,the loss peak of the transmission spectrum will shift to long wave direction.

微纳Taper光纤干涉传感器的折射率测量理论研究

利用微纳taper光纤干涉方程和微纳光纤传输模式函数关系,建立了微纳taper光纤干涉波长随环境折射率变化的数学模型,指出微纳taper光纤干涉波长的响应规律由基模高阶模有效折射率差、色散因子和环境折射率3个因素所决定.详细研究了微纳taper光纤传感器的灵敏度变化规律,结果表明,传感器的灵敏度随光纤半径变小而急速增大,并随环境折射率的增大而非线性增加,而且探测波长越长,其灵敏度越大.

Relationship between rheological manufacturing process and optical performance of optical fiber coupler

Through theoretical analysis and experiments, the viscoelastic mechanical model of optical fiber coupler in the process of fused biconical taper was established, and the numerical analysis in non-uniform temperature field was made. The results show that the rheological parameters, such as drawing speed and fused temperature, have a tremendous influence on stress distribution and performance of optical fiber coupler, especially the influence of fused temperature. The change of fused temperature by 5℃ can lead to the change of the maximum stress by 30% and stress difference by 20% in the same cross section. The change of temperature gradient by 3% can result in the change of stress difference by 90%. In the present condition of rheological technology, rheological defects such as crystallizations and microcracks are easy to generate in the optical fiber coupler.