title: Single-mode mid-IR guidance in a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber.
abstract: We report, for the first time, bandgap guidance above 3 mum in a silica based air-core photonic crystal fiber. The peak of the bandgap is at 3.14mum with a typical attenuation of ~ 2.6 dB m-1. By further optimization of the structure, modeling suggests that a loss below 1 dB m-1 should be achievable, greatly extending the useful operating range of silica-based single-mode fibers. Such fibers have many potential applications in the mid-IR, offering an alternative to fluoride, tellurite or chalcogenide glass based optical fibers for chemical and biological sensing applications.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shephard
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Macpherson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hand
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohebbi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knight