A preform (10) for an antiresonant hollow core optical fibre comprises an outer jacket tube (12) having an inner surface and a central longitudinal axis (24); a plurality of antiresonant cladding tubes (14) spaced apart at predefined peripheral locations around the inner surface of the outer jacket tube (12), each antiresonant cladding tube (14) in contact with the inner surface such that a central longitudinal axis (26) of each antiresonant cladding tube (14) is at a first radial distance from the central longitudinal axis (24) of the outer jacket tube (12); and a plurality of spacing elements (22) disposed alternately with the antiresonant cladding tubes (14) and each in contact with an outer surface of each of two adjacent antiresonant cladding tubes (14) at one or more contact points (28), the contact points (28) at a second radial distance from the central longitudinal axis (24) of the outer jacket tube (12), the second radial distance being greater than the first radial distance.

The invention generally relates to optical fibers, and, more particularly, to hollow-core optical fibers and cables for use in high-speed data transmission, including transmission of telecommunications data, and methods of manufacturing such hollow-core optical fibers and cables.

An interferometric optical fibre sensor comprises optical fibre defining an optical circuit configured to propagate a first optical wave via an environment in which the optical fibre can be exposed to a stimulus that modifies the first optical wave, and a second optical wave, and to combine the first optical wave and the second optical wave to create an interference signal containing information about the stimulus, wherein optical fibre propagating either or both of the first optical wave and the second optical wave comprises hollow core optical fibre configured to propagate the optical wave or waves by an antiresonant optical guidance effect.

A hollow-core anti-resonant-reflecting fibre (HC-AF) includes a hollow-core region, an inner cladding region, and an outer cladding region. The hollow-core region axially extends along the HC-AF. The inner cladding region includes a plurality of anti-resonant elements (AREs) and surrounds the hollow-core region. The outer cladding region surrounds the inner cladding region. The hollow-core region and the plurality of AREs are configured to provide phase matching of higher order hollow-core modes and ARE modes in a broadband wavelength range.

A delivery fiber assembly suitable for delivering broad band light and including a delivery fiber and a connector member. The delivery fiber has a length, an input end for launching light, and a delivery end. The delivery fiber includes along its length a core region and a cladding region surrounding the core region, the cladding region includes a cladding background material having a refractive index N.sub.bg and a plurality of microstructures in the form of inclusions of solid material having refractive index up to N.sub.inc and extending in the length of the longitudinal axis of the delivery fiber, wherein N.sub.inc<N.sub.bg. The plurality of inclusions in the cladding region is arranged in a cross-sectional pattern including at least two rings of inclusions surrounding the core region. The connector member is mounted to the delivery fiber at a delivery end section of the delivery fiber including the delivery end.

A Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) a method of its production and a supercontinuum light source comprising such PCF. The PCF has a longitudinal axis and includes a core extending along the length of said longitudinal axis and a cladding region surrounding the core. At least the cladding region includes a plurality of microstructures in the form of inclusions extending along the longitudinal axis of the PCF in at least a microstructured length section. In at least a degradation resistant length section of the microstructured length section the PCF includes hydrogen and/or deuterium. In at least the degradation resistant length section the PCF further includes a main coating surrounding the cladding region, which main coating is hermetic for the hydrogen and/or deuterium at a temperature below T.sub.h, wherein Th is at least about 50° C., preferably 50° C.<Th.sub.h<250° C.

A monostatic laser rangefinder device including: a laser light source; a photodetector; a double-clad optical fiber coupled to a collimating and focusing device; and an optical fiber diplexer. The diplexer includes a first optical fiber forming an input port and a second, multimode optical fiber forming a first output port. The first fiber is coupled to the laser source, the second fiber is coupled to the photodetector, and the double-clad fiber forms a second output port. A numerical aperture of a light guide formed of an inner and outer cladding of the double-clad fiber is less than or equal to 0.5, and greater than 0.1. The end of the double-clad fiber facing the collimating and focusing device has a face inclined with respect to an axis perpendicular to the axis of the fiber by an angle greater than or equal to half of the arcsine of the numerical aperture.

The invention relates to an optical fiber having an axial direction and a cross section perpendicular to said axial direction, and a method and preform for producing such an optical fiber. The optical fiber is adapted to guide light at a wavelength λ, and comprises a core region, an inner cladding region surrounding said core region, and at least one of a first type of feature comprising a void and a surrounding first silica material. The core, the inner cladding region and the first type of feature extends along said axial direction over at least a part of the length of the optical fiber. The first silica material has a first chlorine concentration of about 300 ppm or less.

A Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) a method of its production and a supercontinuum light source comprising such PCF. The PCF has a longitudinal axis and includes a core extending along the length of said longitudinal axis and a cladding region surrounding the core. At least the cladding region includes a plurality of microstructures in the form of inclusions extending along the longitudinal axis of the PCF in at least a microstructured length section. In at least a degradation resistant length section of the microstructured length section the PCF includes hydrogen and/or deuterium. In at least the degradation resistant length section the PCF further includes a main coating surrounding the cladding region, which main coating is hermetic for the hydrogen and/or deuterium at a temperature below T.sub.h, wherein T.sub.h is at least about 50° C., preferably 50° C.<T.sub.h<250° C.

A method for manufacturing a capillary usable as part of a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. The method includes obtaining a capillary having capillary wall including a first wall thickness; and chemically etching the capillary wall to reduce the wall thickness of the capillary wall. During performance of the etching, a control parameter is locally varied along the length of the capillary, the control parameter relating to reactivity of an etchant used in the etching, so as to control the etched wall thickness of the capillary wall along the capillary length. Also disclosed is a capillary manufactured by such a method and various devices including such a capillary.