This article demonstrates an investigation and analysis of a tapered fiber fabrication using an etchant droplet method. To achieve precise control on process, a two-step etching method is proposed (using 48% concentration of HF acid and Buffered HF) which results in low-loss adiabatic tapered fiber. A spectrum analysis monitoring in addition to a microscopy system was used to verify the etching progress. Tapers with losses less than 0.4 dB in air and 4.5 dB in water are demonstrated. A biconical fiber taper fabricated using this method was used to excite the WGMs on a microsphere surface in aquatic environment.

Date Published: 2 June 2014
PDF: 4 pages
Proc. SPIE 9157, 23rd International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors, 91574D (2 June 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2058664

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9157:
23rd International Conference on Optical Fibre Sensors
José M. López-Higuera; Julian D. C. Jones; Manuel López-Amo; José Luis Santos, Editor(s)