Abstract: A source of optical supercontinuum radiation comprises a length of microstructured optical fiber and a pump laser adapted to generate lasing radiation at a pump wavelength. The length of microstructured optical fiber is arranged to receive lasing radiation at the pump wavelength to generate optical supercontinuum radiation and comprises a core region and a cladding region which surrounds the core region.

Abstract: A source of optical supercontinuum radiation comprises a length of microstructured optical fibre and a pump laser adapted to generate lasing radiation at a pump wavelength. The length of microstructured optical fibre is arranged to receive lasing radiation at the pump wavelength to generate optical supercontinuum radiation and comprises a core region and a cladding region which surrounds the core region.

Abstract: A source of optical supercontinuum radiation comprises a length of microstructured optical fiber and a pump laser, the pump laser adapted to generate lasing radiation having a pump wavelength in the wavelength range of 900 nm to 1200 nm for generating an optical supercontinuum, the length of microstructured optical fibre comprising a core region having a diameter in the range of 1 ?m to 5 ?m and a cladding region which surrounds the core region; the cladding region comprising at least two capillary air holes having substantially the same diameter and which extend substantially along the length of the fibre; the fiber comprising a zero dispersion wavelength within ±200 nm of said pump wavelength; wherein the length of microstructured fiber can support a plurality of modes at said pump wavelength; and wherein said lasing radiation at said pump wavelength is launched into said core region of said length of microstructured optical fiber to excite the fundamental mode of the fiber.

Abstract: A source of optical supercontinuum radiation comprises a microstructured optical fibre and a pump laser adapted to generate lasing radiation at a pump wavelength, the microstructured optical fibre comprising a core region and a cladding region which surrounds the core region; the core of the microstructured fibre comprising a first refractive index and the cladding region comprising an effective refractive index such that the ?-value is greater than 0.03; the fibre comprising a zero dispersion wavelength within ±200 nm of said pump wavelength; wherein the fibre can support a plurality of modes at said pump wavelength; and wherein the pump laser is adapted to launch said lasing radiation at said pump wavelength into said core region of said microstructured optical fibre to excite the fundamental mode of the fibre. In one practice, the source of optical supercontinuum radiation does not include a pump laser arranged to pump said microstructured optical fibre at a wavelength different from said pump wavelength.

Abstract: A source of optical supercontinuum radiation is disclosed, for generating blue-enhanced spectral components using a pump wavelength of substantially 1064 nm. The source comprises a microstructured optical fibre and a pump laser arranged to generate lasing radiation at the pump wavelength of substantially 1064 nm. The microstructured optical fibre comprises a core region and a cladding region which surrounds the core region and the pump laser is adapted to launch the lasing radiation at the pump wavelength into the core region of the microstructured optical fiber to excite the fundamental mode of the fibre. The fiber comprises a zero dispersion wavelength within ±200 nm of the pump wavelength and can support a plurality of modes at the pump wavelength.

Abstract: An optical supercontinuum radiation source for generating a broad optical supercontinuum from pump radiation having a wavelength in the range 900 nm to 1200 nm includes a microstructured optical fiber and a pump laser adapted to generate pump radiation for pumping the microstructured optical fiber. The fiber can have a ? (“delta”) value of greater than 0.3, the core region of the fiber can support a plurality of modes at the pump wavelength, and the cladding region can comprise at least two air holes extending along the length of fiber wherein the ratio of the diameter (d) of the air holes to their pitch (?) is greater than 0.6. The fiber can comprise a zero dispersion wavelength (ZDW) within ±200 nm of said pump wavelength.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a microstructured fiber, includes: providing a preform having a plurality of elongate holes; mating at least one, but not all, of the holes with a connector to connect the hole(s) to an external pressure-controller; drawing the preform into the fiber while controlling gas pressure in the hole(s) connected to the pressure-controller.

Abstract: An optical supercontinuum radiation source for generating a broad optical supercontinuum from pump radiation having a wavelength in the range 900 nm to 1200 nm includes a microstructured optical fibre and a pump laser adapted to generate pump radiation for pumping the microstructured optical fibre. The fibre can have a ? (“delta”) value of greater than 0.3, the core region of the fibre can support a plurality of modes at the pump wavelength, and the cladding region can comprise at least two air holes extending along the length of fibre wherein the ratio of the diameter (d) of the air holes to their pitch (?) is greater than 0.6. The fibre can comprise a zero dispersion wavelength (ZDW) within ±200 nm of said pump wavelength.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a microstructured fibre, includes: providing a preform having a plurality of elongate holes; mating at least one, but not all, of the holes with a connector to connect the hole(s) to an external pressure-controller; drawing the preform into the fibre whilst controlling gas pressure in the hole(s) connected to the pressure-controller.

Abstract: A source of optical supercontinuum radiation is disclosed, for generating blue-enhanced spectral components using a pump wavelength of substantially 1064 nm. The source comprises a microstructured optical fibre and a pump laser arranged to generate lasing radiation at the pump wavelength of substantially 1064 nm. The microstructured optical fibre comprises a core region and a cladding region which surrounds the core region and the pump laser is adapted to launch the lasing radiation at the pump wavelength into the core region of the microstructured optical fibre to excite the fundamental mode of the fibre. The fibre comprises a zero dispersion wavelength within ±200 nm of the pump wavelength and can support a plurality of modes at the pump wavelength.

Abstract: An optical transmission system comprising a laser light source arranged to emit light having a frequency ?; and an optical transmission line adapted to guide the light, wherein said optical transmission line includes a photonic bandgap optical fibre having a core guided mode at frequency ? and an attenuation band at a frequency of ?-13 THz. The optical transmission system suppresses Raman scattered light thereby allowing high optical powers to be transmitted through optical fibre.

Abstract: An optical transmission system comprising a laser light source arranged to emit light having a frequency ?; and an optical transmission line adapted to guide the light, wherein said optical transmission line includes a photonic bandgap optical fibre having a core guided mode at frequency ? and an attenuation band at a frequency of ?-13 THz. The optical transmission system suppresses Raman scattered light thereby allowing high optical powers to be transmitted through optical fibre.

Abstract: A holey optical fibre for supporting propagation of light of a wavelength ?,comprises a plurality of cylinders (10) each having a longitudinal axis, the cylinders (10) being separated from each other by regions of a matrix material (20) and having their longitudinal axes substantially parallel to each other. Each cylinder (10) has a diameter, in the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, that is small enough for the composite material of the ensemble of cylinders and matrix material to be substantially optically homogenous in respect of light of wavelength ?.

Abstract: A method of joining a first optical fiber (110) to a second optical fiber (130) comprises the steps of: (i) providing a preform element (10) comprising material defining a primary elongate cavity (40); (ii) inserting the first optical fiber (110) into the primary cavity (40) to form a preform (125); and (iii) drawing the second optical fiber (130) from the preform (125); wherein, the second optical fiber (130) includes a core region comprising material that has been drawn from the first optical fiber (110).

Abstract: A photonic crystal fiber comprising a bulk material having an arrangement of longitudinal holes, the fiber including a cladding region and a guiding core (280), the cladding region having an effective-refractive-index which varies across the fiber's cross section, wherein, in use, the effective-refractive-index variation causes light propagating in the fiber to have a different transverse profile from the profile that it would have if the cladding region were of a substantially uniform effective refractive index.

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: A photonic crystal fiber comprising a bulk material having an arrangement of longitudinal holes (130, 140) and a guiding core (135), wherein the fiber has at-most-two-fold rotational symmetry about a longitudinal axis and as a result of that lack of symmetry, the fiber is birefringent.

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 comprising: a core (20) having a refractive index; and a cladding region (10) at least substantially surrounding the core (20) and comprising a bulk material having a second refractive index that is higher that the first refractive index, the bulk material containing an arrangement of elongate, longitudinal holes that comprise hole material of a third refractive index that is lower than the first refractive index; such that an electromagnetic mode guided in the core (20) has an evanescent wave that becomes more closely confined to the vicinity of the core (20) as the wavelength of the electromagnetic mode is increased over a first range of wavelengths.

Abstract: A method of joining a first optical fibre (110) to a second optical fibre (130) comprises the steps of: (i) providing a preform element (10) comprising material defining a primary elongate cavity (40); (ii) inserting the first optical fibre (110) into the primary cavity (40) to form a preform (125); and (iii) drawing the second optical fibre (130) from the preform (125); wherein, the second optical fibre (130) includes a core region comprising material that has been drawn from the first optical fibre (110).