Optical properties of hydrogel-filled hollow core photonic crystal fibres
M. Rutowska, P. Galvin, F. C. Garcia Gunning, University College Cork (Ireland)
In this paper we analyse the optical properties of a 3D hydrogel matrix integrated with a hollow core Photonic Crystal Fibre (HC-PCF). The overall refractive index was investigated with the aid of a spectroscopic ellipsometer. Moreover, a supercontinuum source was launched to the filled fibres, for spectrum and near-field analysis. We observe that when the fibres are filled with hydrogel, a clear shift in wavelength guidance occurs from 1060nm to approximately 700nm, and that the propagation occurs at the core. We will also discuss possible guidance mechanisms for such fibre scheme.
