This communication describes a rather new type of optical fiber composed of three layers with the outermost region being radially anisotropic liquid crystal, and the inner dielectric core-clad interface is loaded with conducting tape helix structure. Similarly to the fibers embedded with conducting sheath helix, the introduction of tape helix too would throw the impact of altering the dispersion features of the guide. However, the situation becomes more complex in the sense that, apart from the helix pitch angle (as generally considered in the case of sheath), the width of tape helix structure becomes the additional factor to affect the dispersion characteristics. We consider the core and the inner clad sections as made of linear, homogeneous and isotropic dielectrics, and the anisotropy remains in the outermost section due to the presence of nematic radially anisotropic liquid crystal material. Taking into account the zero-order guided modes in the fiber structure, effects on confinements due to the amalgamation of birefringence (optical property of liquid crystal) and tape helix pitch (geometrical/structural property of prefect conductor) are reported. Results reveal that such liquid crystal fibers with conducting tape helix loadings would be more useful than the sheath helix loaded fibers.

Date Published: 27 August 2014
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 9172, Nanostructured Thin Films VII, 91720G (27 August 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2060365

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9172:
Nanostructured Thin Films VII
Akhlesh Lakhtakia; Tom G. Mackay; Motofumi Suzuki, Editor(s)