Broadband optical fibre with an attenuation lower than 0.1 decibel per kilometre

Abstract A critical component of optical communications is the availability of a suitable waveguide technology for the transport of electromagnetic waves with low loss over a broad spectral range. In the past four decades, despite extensive research, the attenuation and spectral bandwidth of silica-based optical fibres have remained relatively unchanged, with state-of-the-art fibres offering values of 0.14 dB km −1 and 26 THz below 0.2 dB km −1 , respectively. Here we report a microstructured optical waveguide with unprecedented transmission bandwidth and attenuation, with a measured loss of 0.091 dB km −1 at 1,550 nm that remains below 0.2 dB km −1 over a window of 66 THz. Instead of a traditional solid glass…

• EA
  Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

  Award: EP/X025276/1