Mid-infrared hollow core fiber drawn from a 3D printed chalcogenide glass preform

We report the fabrication of a microstructured optical fiber drawn from a soft glass 3D printed preform. For this proof of concept, a chalcogenide glass that is well known for its capability to be shaped at low temperature and its mid-infrared transmission was selected: Te20As30Se50. The obtained negative curvature hollow core fiber shows several transmission bands in the 2-12 mu m range that are reproduced numerically using finite element-based simulations and coupled mode theory. (C) 2020 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreement

Automated summary

The study presents the fabrication of a microstructured optical fiber using a soft glass 3D printed preform, with a focus on a chalcogenide glass Te20As30Se50 known for its low temperature shaping capability and mid-infrared transmission. The negative curvature hollow core fiber obtained demonstrates multiple transmission bands in the 2-12 mu m range, which are validated through finite element-based simulations and coupled mode theory.