Seeing things in a hole new light: photonic crystal fibers

In 1996 we reported the first example of a photonic crystal fibre (PCF), an entirely new class of optical fiber. Also known as holey or microstructure fibers, they incorporate air holes that run along the length of the fibers cladding. The fiber is made from a stack of close-packed silica tubes and rods that is drawn into fiber using a conventional fiber drawing tower. We have demonstrated a wide variety of PCF designs and developed the conceptual tools needed to understand their properties and guide their design. These fibers can have highly unusual properties, and look set to rewrite the fibre-optics rulebook and revolutionize the future of optical telecommunication.