A method of making a microstructured optical fiber including loading the core and cladding materials of the fiber with hydrogen and deuterium at a loading temperature; annealing the fiber at a selected temperature T.sub.anneal; pumping the fiber with radiation; and reducing the temperature of the fiber and storing the fiber at the reduced temperature before the step of pumping the fiber; and wherein the method allows the hydrogen and the deuterium to become bound to the core material and the cladding material.

A braider includes: a plurality of cylindrical bobbins around which flat foil yarns are wound so as not to be inverted; a plurality of carriers to which the bobbins are rotatably attached, the plurality of carriers being configured to feed out the flat foil yarns from the bobbins; a core material supply mechanism configured to supply a core material to be placed inside the outer conductor; a waveguide take-out mechanism configured to take out the flexible waveguide after the outer conductor is formed; and a carrier movement determination mechanism configured to determine movement of the carriers so that there are always three or more cross points formed by the individual flat foil yarns with other ones of the flat foil yarns in an enlarged portion before the flat foil yarns form a braided shape.

An optical fiber includes a core and a cladding. The optical fiber includes a core material and a cladding material, respectively, wherein the fiber is a non-linear microstructured optical fiber, the microstructured optical fiber being obtainable by a method including loading with hydrogen and/or deuterium and optionally annealing and/or irradiation whereby the lifetime of the fiber may be extended in high power applications.

The present technology provides an illustrative method for preparing fibers with desirable optical characteristics. The method includes providing a fiber that comprises a core layer and a cladding layer located around the core layer. The method further includes applying a nanostructure template to the cladding layer to form one or more photonic nanostructures having nanostructure scales and compressing the core layer to cause the core layer to bulge and form air gaps between the core layer and the one or more photonic nanostructures.

The present disclosure provides a method for modification of surface of an initial optical fiber preform. The initial optical fiber preform is manufactured using at least one preform manufacturing process. The surface of the initial optical fiber preform is treated with 50-70 liters of chlorine per square meter of the surface of the initial optical fiber preform. The surface of the initial optical fiber preform is flame polished using a flame polishing module. The treatment of the surface of the initial optical fiber preform with chlorine and flame polishing of the surface of the initial optical fiber preform collectively converts the initial optical fiber preform into a modified optical fiber preform.

A braider includes: a plurality of cylindrical bobbins around which flat foil yarns are wound so as not to be inverted; a plurality of carriers to which the bobbins are rotatably attached, the plurality of carriers being configured to feed out the flat foil yarns from the bobbins; a core material supply mechanism configured to supply a core material to be placed inside the outer conductor; a waveguide take-out mechanism configured to take out the flexible waveguide after the outer conductor is formed; and a carrier movement determination mechanism configured to determine movement of the carriers so that there are always three or more cross points formed by the individual flat foil yarns with other ones of the flat foil yarns in an enlarged portion before the flat foil yarns form a braided shape.

Structures for an optical coupler and methods of fabricating a structure for an optical coupler. A first plurality of segments are positioned with a first spaced arrangement along a longitudinal axis, and a second plurality of segments are positioned with a second spaced arrangement along the longitudinal axis between the first plurality of segments and a waveguide core. A slab layer has a plurality of sections respectively connected to the second plurality of segments. The second plurality of segments have a first thickness, and the slab layer has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness.

A method of making a microstructured optical fiber including loading the core and cladding materials of the fiber with hydrogen and deuterium at a loading temperature; annealing the fiber at a selected temperature T.sub.anneal; pumping the fiber with radiation; and reducing the temperature of the fiber and storing the fiber at the reduced temperature before the step of pumping the fiber; and wherein the method allows the hydrogen and the deuterium to become bound to the core material and the cladding material.

A terahertz waveguide includes an input segment, a transmission segment and an output segment. The input segment includes an input waveguide and an input microstructured waveguide. One end of the input waveguide is connected with one end of the core of the input microstructured waveguide. The transmission segment includes at least a sub-wavelength waveguide, an air cladding surrounding the sub-wavelength waveguide and a solid outer cladding surrounding the air cladding. The other end of the core of the input microstructured waveguide is connected with one end of the sub-wavelength waveguide. The other end of the sub-wavelength waveguide is connected with the core of the output microstructured waveguide. One end of the solid outer cladding is connected with the cladding of the input microstructured waveguide, and an output segment. The output segment includes an output microstructured waveguide and an output waveguide.

A terahertz waveguide includes an input segment, a transmission segment and an output segment. The input segment includes an input waveguide and an input microstructured waveguide. One end of the input waveguide is connected with one end of the core of the input microstructured waveguide. The transmission segment includes at least a sub-wavelength waveguide, an air cladding surrounding the sub-wavelength waveguide and a solid outer cladding surrounding the air cladding. The other end of the core of the input microstructured waveguide is connected with one end of the sub-wavelength waveguide. The other end of the sub-wavelength waveguide is connected with the core of the output microstructured waveguide. One end of the solid outer cladding is connected with the cladding of the input microstructured waveguide, and an output segment. The output segment includes an output microstructured waveguide and an output waveguide.