Multilayer composite photonic bandgap fibers

Materials and fabrication techniques are developed that lead to the successful fabrication of multilayer composite photonic bandgap fibers. The pertinent background in electromagnetic theory of multilayer dielectric mirrors and optical fibers is surveyed. Materials properties constraints are outlined, with emphasis on those constraints related to processing strategy and ultimate target length scale. Interfacial energy is measured in a chalcogenide glass / organic polymer composite system selected for fiber fabrication. A classical capillary instability model is employed to predict the feasibility of fiber fabrication based on material properties; from this model, quantitative materials selection criteria related to ultimate length scale are derived. Good agreement is found between the calculated materials selection criteria and controlled fiber experiments. The fiber fabrication techniques are described and analyzed; chalcogenide film deposition is characterized using Raman and electron microprobe spectroscopy, and heat transfer during fiber drawing is modeled using a commercial finite-element software package. The developed materials and fabrication processes are used to perform two case studies in novel photonic bandgap fiber fabrication; the first case study deals with externally reflecting omnidirectional 'mirror-fibers', while the second deals with hollow- core light transmitting fibers. The reflecting mirror-fibers consist of a tough polymer core surrounded by multiple coaxial submicron-thick layers of a high-refractive-index glass and a low-index polymer; these layers reflect external light from all incident angles and polarizations in the mid-IR range.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Hart, Shandon D. (Shandon Dee), 1978-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Yoel Fink.

• Materials Science and Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/32264

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/32264