A process of fabricating the microstructure core rod preform used in the fabrication of a hollow core optical fiber includes the step of applying external pressure to selected hollow regions during the drawing of the preform from the initial assembly of capillary tubes. The application of pressure assists the selected hollow regions in maintaining their shape as much as possible during draw, and reduces distortions in the microstructure cells in close proximity to the core by controlling glass distribution during MCR draw.

A method for making an optical fiber device may include using a three-dimensional (3D) printer to generate a preform body including an optical material. The preform body may have a 3D pattern of voids therein defining a 3D lattice. The method may further include drawing the preform body to form the optical fiber device.

The invention comprises a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) assembly comprising a PCF and at least one ferrule structure. The PCF has a center axis and comprises a core region and a cladding region and a first fiber end section with a first fiber end. The ferrule structure has a center axis and is mounted to the first fiber end section. The ferrule structure comprises an inner ferrule arrangement and an outer ferrule arrangement surrounding the first fiber end section. The inner ferrule arrangement comprises an inner ferrule front section proximally to the first fiber end and an inner ferrule rear section distally to the first fiber end, and each of the inner ferrule sections have an inner diameter and in at least a length thereof fully surrounds the PCF. The inner ferrule rear section is anchored in an anchor length section to the first fiber end section and the inner ferrule front section supports the first fiber end section proximally to the first fiber end.

The present invention provides a frontal light diffusing device comprising a non-circular core fiber section having a proximal end and a distal end, and a lens; wherein fiber core of the non-circular core section has a top hat core irradiance distribution and the frontal light diffusing device provides a top hat spatial irradiance distribution at a targeted location. The present invention further provides a frontal light diffusing device comprising an optical fiber and a collimation lens assembly wherein the collimation lens assembly includes a variable aperture that blocks portions of light outcoupled from the optical fiber thereby allowing only a central portion of the light to exit through the variable aperture resulting in a flat irradiance distribution.

A photonic adaptor has a first face side to couple the photonic adaptor to an optical connector and a second face side to couple the photonic adaptor to an optoelectronic substrate. The photonic adaptor comprises a plurality of optical fibers being arranged between the first face side and the second face side of the photonic adaptor. The photonic adaptor comprises at least one alignment pin projecting out of at least the first face side of the photonic adaptor. The at least one alignment pin is configured to be inserted in the optical connector to align optical fibers of an optical cable to the optical fibers of the photonic adaptor.

A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) assembly including a PCF and at least one ferrule structure. The PCF includes a core region and a cladding region and a first fiber end section with a first fiber end. The ferrule structure is mounted to the first fiber end section. The ferrule structure includes an inner ferrule arrangement and an outer ferrule arrangement surrounding the first fiber end section. The inner ferrule arrangement includes an inner ferrule front section proximally to the first fiber end and an inner ferrule rear section distally to the first fiber end, and each of the sections has an inner diameter and in at least a length thereof fully surrounds the PCF. The inner ferrule rear section is anchored in an anchor length section to the first fiber end section and the inner ferrule front section supports the first fiber end section proximally to the first fiber end.

An optical fiber that is a photonic crystal fiber in which a plurality of holes is arranged along a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber, having a predetermined bending radius R determined according to a transmission distance L of the optical fiber and optical power output from the optical fiber, and having an inter-hole distance and a ratio d/ between a hole diameter d and the inter-hole distance such that light of a predetermined number of modes is transmitted and a bending loss of the light of a fundamental mode with the predetermined bending radius R is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

Air core optical fiber structures in which the cladding is composed of an engineered optical metamaterial having a refractive index less than unity for at least one specific wavelength band and provides for total internal reflection of optical energy between the air core and metamaterial cladding. According to certain examples, a method of guiding optical energy includes constructing a hollow core optical fiber with an all-dielectric optical metamaterial cladding, coupling optical energy into the optical fiber having an operating wavelength near a resonance of the metamaterial cladding, and guiding the optical energy within the hollow core optical fiber by total internal reflection.

A method of drawing a material into sheet form includes forming a preform comprising at least one material as a large aspect ratio block wherein a first transverse dimension of the preform is much greater than a second transverse dimension substantially perpendicular to the first transverse dimension. A furnace having substantially linearly opposed heating elements one spaced from the other is provided and the heating elements are energized to apply heat to the preform to create a negative thermal gradient from an exterior surface along the first transverse dimension of the preform inward toward a central plane of the preform. The preform is drawn in such a manner that the material substantially maintains its first transverse dimension and deforms across its second transverse dimension.

Air core optical fiber structures in which the cladding is composed of an engineered optical metamaterial having a refractive index less than unity for at least one specific wavelength band and provides for total internal reflection of optical energy between the air core and metamaterial cladding. According to certain examples, a method of guiding optical energy includes constructing a hollow core optical fiber with an all-dielectric optical metamaterial cladding, coupling optical energy into the optical fiber having an operating wavelength near a resonance of the metamaterial cladding, and guiding the optical energy within the hollow core optical fiber by total internal reflection.