Fabrication of photonic optical fibers from soft glasses

The stack-and-draw technique has been used to fabricate photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) from four different types of soft glass, namely, borosilicate, alkaline, lead, and tungsten-tellurite. The thermophysical properties of the components must be matched in order to produce PCFs from a combination of glass types. Lead/alkaline PCFs could be fabricated without crystallization or fragility problems. Using borosilicate glass alone, PCFs with up to five hollow periodic structures could be formed. With tungsten-tellurite glass, a PCF with one hollow periodic structure and a core doped with Er³⁺ ions have been produced. The properties of this fiber confirm its potential application in optical amplification or in other active devices.