title: Single-mode microstructured optical fiber for the middle infrared.
abstract: Microstructured crystalline optical fiber from silver halides is described. Both experimental and theoretical evidences are presented to establish that the fiber is effectively single mode at wavelength 10.6 micro m with numerical aperture NA=0.16 and optical losses of approximately 2 dB/m. Crystalline microstructured optical fibers offer key advantages over step-index optical fibers from silver halide crystals. The wide transmission range of wavelengths 2-20 micro m provides great potential for applications in spectroscopy and for the development of a range of new crystalline-based nonlinear optical fibers.
authors.affiliation: Fiber Optics Research Center, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Leonid N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Butvina
authors.forename: Olesya V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Sereda
authors.forename: Eugeny M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Dianov
authors.forename: Ninel V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Lichkova
authors.forename: Vladimir N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Zagorodnev