Transformation of a transmission mechanism by filling the holes of normal silica-guiding microstructure fibers with nematic liquid crystal.

Transformation of an optical transmission mechanism was achieved when the holes of normal silica-guiding microstructure fiber (MF) were filled with nematic liquid crystal (NLC). Moreover, two photonic bandgaps (PBGs) were obtained by using a plane-wave method to create the pattern. The wavelength dependence of the effective mode area, leakage loss, and group velocity dispersion (GVD) has been theoretically investigated by using a full-vector finite-element method with anisotropic perfectly matched layers. The results reveal that the characteristics of the NLC-filled PBG-MFs are particularly wavelength dependent. This research gives a physical insight into the propagation mechanism in MFs and is crucial for future transmission applications.