Dispersion management with microstructured optical fibers: ultraflattened chromatic dispersion with low losses

We numerically demonstrate ultraflattened chromatic dispersion with low losses in microstructured optical fibers (MOFs). We propose using two different MOF structures to get this result. Both structures are based on a subset of a triangular array of cylindrical air holes; the cross sections of these inclusions are circular, and a missing hole in the fiber's middle forms the core. In this MOF structure the diameters of the inclusions increase with distance from the fiber axis until the diameters reach a maximum. With this new design and with three different hole diameters, it requires only seven rings to reach the 0.2-dB/km level at lambda = 1.55 mum with a variation amplitude of dispersion below 3.0 x 10(-2) ps nm(-1) km(-1) of lambda = 1.5-1.6 mum. With the usual MOF (made from holes of identical diameter), we show that at least 18 hole rings are required for losses to decrease to < 1 dB/km at lambda = 1.55 mum. 2003 Optical Society of America.