Abstract: A method of manufacturing an optical fibre, comprises: (i) forming a preform (10) for drawing into the fibre, the preform (10) comprising a bundle of elongate elements, (20,50) arranged to form a first region that becomes a cladding region of the fibre and a second region that becomes a core region of the fibre; (ii) drawing the preform (10) into the fibre. The bundle of elongate elements (20,50) comprises a plurality of elongate elements (20) of a lower purity dielectric material and at least one elongate element (50) of a higher purity dielectric material. The first region comprises a plurality of the lower purity elements (20) and the second region comprises the higher purity element (50).

Abstract: An optical fibre comprises: (i) a plurality of elongate, tubular, higher-refractive-index regions (20,50) of dielectric material, the regions being concentric about a longitudinal axis; (ii) a plurality of elongate, tubular lower-refractive-index regions, arranged between the higher-index regions (20,50), and comprising bridging regions (30), of a solid dielectric material, and a plurality of elongate holes (40); and (iii) a core region (10). The higher-index regions (20,50) and the lower-index regions (40) together define a cladding structure arranged to guide light in the core region (10). The elongate holes (40) are arcuate in cross-section.

Abstract: In a method of producing a photonic crystal fibre, a preform (300) that includes holes is formed and the preform (300) is drawn into a fibre. The method includes the step of applying a pressure differential to certain of the holes to control changes in the fibre structure during the draw.

Abstract: A photonic crystal fiber including a plurality of longitudinal holes (220), in which at least some of the holes have a different cross-sectional area in a first region (200) of the fiber, that region having been heat-treated after fabrication of the fiber, from their cross-sectional area in a second region of the fiber (190), wherein the optical properties of the fiber in the heat-treated region (200) are altered by virtue of the change in cross-sectional area of holes (230) in that region (200).