Hollow-core PCF for guidance in the mid to far infra-red

A major limitation to attaining low-loss single-mode guidance in hollow core photonic crystal fibre (PCF) is surface guided modes that are trapped in the core surround. This is particularly severe when high index (n > 2) glasses are used. By modelling a structure that has the characteristic features of a realistic fibre we show that, by tuning the thickness of the core wall, the influence of these 'surface' modes can be minimised. For a refractive index of 2.4 we predict power-in-air fractions of over 95% over a fractional bandwidth of similar to 5%, peaking at over 98%. The designs are appropriate for mid- to far-IR PCFs for which suitable glasses (e.g., tellurites and chalcogenides) have high refractive indices. (c) 2005 Optical Society of America.