Optical micro/nanofiber as valuable technological platform for lab on fiber

Abstract

In this Chapter, we introduce optical micro/nanofibers (MNFs) as valuable technological platform for lab on fiber. Starting from the fabrication and micromanipulation of individual MNFs, we put emphases on optical properties and technological applications of MNFs, including both passive components and active devices. A brief outlook regarding future possibilities is also presented. Optical microfibers and nanofibers (MNFs) are optical fibers with diameters close to or smaller than the wavelength of the guided light. A number of names, such as “subwavelength-diameter optical fiber/wire”, “optical microfiber”, “optical nanofiber”, “fiber taper”, “tapered fiber”, “fiber nanowire”, “photonic/optical nanowire”, “submicron-diameter fiber” and “ultrathin fiber”, have been used to mention these one-dimensional (1D) micro/nanoscale waveguides in various literatures. For simplicity, here we use the name “MNF” to cover these tiny optical fibers with diameters from tens of nanometers to several micrometers. When its size goes down to the wavelength of the guided light, an optical MNF exhibits interesting properties such as tight optical confinement, strong near-field interaction, steep field gradient, abnormal dispersion, enhanced surface effects and excellent mechanical flexibilities [1–7], which opens opportunities for combining waveguide optics with near-field optics, nonlinear optics, plasmonics, quantum optics and optomechanics on the nanoscale [8–12], and intrigues a variety of novel nanophotonic components/devices including nanolasers and nanosensors that may serve as a valuable technological platform for Lab on fiber. In this section, we introduce the principles and technological applications of optical nanofibers and nanowires. Future applications of these 1D building blocks for optical communication and sensing are also discussed