Broadband Infrared Optical Fiber Architecture

Specific signatures of weapons of mass destruction and toxic chemicals, as a rule, are located in the mid-infrared region of the spectrum, and optical fiber is one of the key energy delivery elements of many remote sensing instruments. However, in many circumstances, conventional solid core fibers do not satisfy the requirements for high power radiation, broadband transmission, and single mode operation in the specified region. This project will develop a low loss, broadband, hollow optical fiber structure that will operate in the 8-12 micron wavelength range, and be capable of delivering high optical power on the order of watts. The optical fiber will be comprised of a number of hexagonal hollow core optical fibers that will be structured as an imaging bundle, and will be separated by air gaps. Flexible rods, made of the same material as the capillary wall, will be placed at adjacent corners of the hexagons to support the structure. Such a structure will create flat dielectric mirrors of high refractive index contrast, which will confine the electromagnetic radiation inside the capillaries and provide low-loss propagation along the capillary length. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee The technology should have application to the military (coherently combining radiation from different sources ¿ from visible to long-wave mid-infrared ¿ into a fiber array, and delivering it to spacecraft test chambers); homeland security (sensing weapons of mass destruction and toxic chemicals); science (multipurpose LIDAR for atmospheric sensing) and communications (multi-waveband open space communications)