Subwavelength and Nanometer Diameter Optical Fibers provides acomprehensive and up-to-date coverage of research on nanoscaleoptical fibers including the basic physics and engineering aspects ofthe fabrication, properties and applications. The book discusses opti-cal micro/nanofibers that represent a perfect fusion of optical fibersand nanotechnology on subwavelength scale and covers a broadrange of topics in modern optical engineering, photonics and nano-technology spanning from fiber optics, near-field optics, nonlinearoptics, atom optics to nanofabrication and microphotonic compo-nents/devices. It is intended for researchers and graduate students inthe fields of photonics, nanotechnology, optical engineering and ma-terials science.

Introduction

 1.1 A Brief History of Micro- and Nanofibers

 1.2 Concepts of MNFs and the Scope of this Book

 References

2 Optical Waveguiding Properties of MNFs: Theory and Numerical Simulations

 2.1 Basic Guiding Properties of Ideal MNFs

2.1.1 Mathematic Model

2.1.2 Single-mode Condition and Fundamental Modes

2.1.3 Fractional Power Inside the Core and Effective Diametet

2.1.4 Group Velocity and Waveguide Dispersion

 2.2 Theory of MNFs with Microscopic Nonuniformities

2.2.1 Basic Equations

2.2.2 Conventional and Adiabatic Perturbation Theory

2.2.3 Transmission Loss Caused by a Weak and Smooth Nonuniformity

 2.3 Theory of MNF Tapers

2.3.1 Semiclassical Solution of the Wave Equation in the Adiabatic Approximation and Expression of Radiation Loss

2.3.2 Optics of Light Propagation Along the Adiabatic MNF Tapers

2.3.3 Example of a Conical MNF Taper

2.3.4 Example of a Biconical MNF Taper

2.3.5 Example of an MNF Taper with Distributed Radiation Loss

 2.4 The Thinnest MNF Optical Waveguide

 2.5 Evanescent Coupling between Parallel MNFs: 3D-FDTD Simulation

2.5.1 Model for FDTD Simulation

2.5.2 Evanescent Coupling between two Identical Silica MNFs 45

2.5.3 Evanescent Coupling between two Silica MNFs with Different Diameters

2.5.4 Evanescent Coupling between a Silica MNF and a Tellurite MNF

 2.6 Endface Output Patterns

2.6.1 MNFs with Flat Endfaces

2.6.2 MNFs with Angled Endfaces

2.6.3 MNFs with Spherical and Tapered Endfaces

 2.7 MNF Interferometers and Resonators

2.7.1 MNF Mach-Zehnder and Sagnac Interferometers

2.7.2 MNF Loop Resonators

2.7.3 MNF Coil Resonators

 References

3 Fabrication of MNFs

 3.1 Taper Drawing Techniques

 3.2 Taper-drawing Fabrication of Glass MNFs

3.2.1 Taper Grawing MNFs Rom Glass Fibers

3.2.2 Drawing MNFs Directly from Bulk Glasses

 3.3 Drawing Polymer MNFs from Solutions

 References

4 Properties of MNFs: Experimental Investigations

 4.1 Micro/Nanomanipulation and Mechanical Properties of MNFs

4.1.1 Visibility of MNFs

4.1.2 MNF Manipulation

4.1.3 Tensile Strengths of MNFs

 4.2 Optical Properties

4.2.1 Optical Losses

4.2.2 Effect of the Substrate References

5 MNF-based Photonic Components and Devices

 5.1 Linear Waveguides and Waveguide Bends

5.1.1 Linear Waveguides

5.1.2 Waveguide Bends

 5.2 Micro-couplers, Mach-Zehnder and Sagnac Interferometers

5.2.1 Micro-couplers

5.2.2 Mach-Zehnder Interferometers

5.2.3 Sagnac Interferometers

 5.3 MNF Loop and Coil Resonators

5.3.1 MNF Loop Resonator （MLR） Fabricated by Macro-Manipulation

5.3.2 Knot MLR Fabricated by Micro-Manipulation

5.3.3 Experimental Demonstration of MCR

 5.4 MNF Filters

5.4.1 Short-Pass Filters

5.4.2 Add-Drop Filters

 5.5 MNF Lasers

5.5.1 Modeling MNF Ring Lasers

5.5.2 Numerical Simulation of Era+ and Yb3+ Doped MNF Ring Lasers

5.5.3 Er3+ and Yb3+ Codoped MNF Ring Lasers

5.5.4 Evanescent-Wave-Coupled MNF Dye Lasers

 References

6 Micro/nanofiber Optical Sensors

 6.1 Introduction

 6.2 Application of a Straight MNF for Sensing

6.2.1 Microfluidic Refractive Index MNF Sensor

6.2.2 Hydrogen MNF Sensor

6.2.3 Molecular Absorption MNF Sensor

6.2.4 Humidity and Gas Polymer MNF Sensor

6.2.5 Optical Fiber Surface MNF Sensor

6.2.6 Atomic Fluorescence MNF Sensor

 6.3 Application of Looped and Coiled MNF for Sensing

6.3.1 Ultra-Fast Direct Contact Gas Temperature Sensor

6.3.2 MCR Microfluidic Sensor

 6.4 Resonant Photonic Sensors Using MNFs for Input and Output Connections

6.4.1 MNF/Microsphere and MNF/Microdisk Sensor

6.4.2 MNF/Microcylinder and MNF/Microcapillary Sensors

6.4.3 Multiple-Cavity Sensors Supported by MNFs

 6.5 Summary

 References

7 More Applications

 7.1 Optical Nonlinear Effects in MNFs

 7.2 MNFs for Atom Optics

 7.3 Other Applications

 References

Index