Single-polarization single-mode hollow-core negative curvature fiber with nested U-type cladding elements

Hollow-core negative curvature fibers (HC-NCFs) have become one of the research hotspots in the field of optical fiber because of its potential applications in the data and energy transmissions. In this paper, a new kind of single-polarization single-mode HC-NCF with nested U-type cladding elements is proposed. To achieve the single-polarization single-mode transmission, we use two different silica tube thicknesses that satisfy the resonance and anti-resonance conditions on the U-type cladding elements and the cladding tubes, respectively. Besides, the elliptical elements are introduced to achieve good single-mode performance. By studying the influences of the structure parameters on the propagation characteristics, the optimized structure parameters are obtained. The simulation results show that when the wavelength is located at 1550 nm, the single-polarization single-mode transmission is achieved, along with the polarization extinction ratio of 25749 and minimum high-order mode extinction ratio of 174. Furthermore, the confinement loss is only 0.0015 dB/m.

Micro-Lensed Negative-Curvature Fibre Probe for Raman Spectroscopy

We developed a novel miniature micro-lensed fibre probe for Raman spectroscopy. The fibre probe consists of a single negative-curvature fibre (NCF) and a spliced, cleaved, micro-lensed fibre cap. Using a single NCF, we minimized the Raman background generated from the silica and maintained the diameter of the probe at less than 0.5 mm. In addition, the cap provided fibre closure by blocking the sample from entering the hollow parts of the fibre, enabling the use of the probe in in vivo applications. Moreover, the micro-lensed cap offered an improved collection efficiency (1.5-times increase) compared to a cleaved end-cap. The sensing capabilities of the micro-lensed probe were demonstrated by measuring different concentrations of glucose in aqueous solutions.

Study on the high birefringence and low confinement loss terahertz fiber based on the combination of double negative curvature and nested claddings

A novel double negative curvature nested fiber structure is designed by adding extra circular cladding tubes to enhance the birefringence and reduce the confinement loss. The fiber structure is composed of eight circular cladding tubes and two semi-elliptical nested tubes. The transmission performances of terahertz fiber, including birefringence, confinement loss, dispersion and effective mode field area, are studied by changing the parameters of cladding tubes. In the frequency range of 1.75 - 2.6 THz, the broad bandwidth of 850 GHz with high birefringence (above 10-4) can be achieved. The confinement loss of y-polarization mode with the frequency of 2.575 THz can be as low as 0.00231 dB/cm. The waveguide dispersion coefficient is between ±0.188 ps/(THz•cm) in the frequency range of 2.0 - 2.475 THz. The maximum effective mode field area of x- polarization mode is 2.618×10-6 m2 at 2.6 THz.

Acyl-chain saturation regulates the order of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate nanodomains

Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) plays a critical role in the regulation of various plasma membrane processes and signaling pathways in eukaryotes. A significant amount of cellular resources are spent on maintaining the dominant 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonyl PI(4,5)P2 acyl-chain composition, while less abundant and more saturated species become more prevalent in response to specific stimuli, stress or aging. Here, we report the impact of acyl-chain structure on the biophysical properties of cation-induced PI(4,5)P2 nanodomains. PI(4,5)P2 species with increasing levels of acyl-chain saturation cluster in progressively more ordered nanodomains, culminating in the formation of gel-like nanodomains for fully saturated species. The formation of these gel-like domains was largely abrogated in the presence of 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonyl PI(4,5)P2. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of the impact of PI(4,5)P2 acyl-chain composition on cation-dependent nanodomain ordering, and provides important clues to the motives behind the enrichment of PI(4,5)P2 with polyunsaturated acyl-chains. We also show how Ca2+-induced PI(4,5)P2 nanodomains are able to generate local negative curvature, a phenomenon likely to play a role in membrane remodeling events.

Microfluidic Raman Sensing Using a Single Ring Negative Curvature Hollow Core Fiber

A compact microfluidic Raman detection system based on a single-ring negative-curvature hollow-core fiber is presented. The system can be used for in-line qualitative and quantitative analysis of biochemicals. Both efficient light coupling and continuous liquid injection into the hollow-core fiber were achieved by creating a small gap between a solid-core fiber and the hollow-core fiber, which were fixed within a low-cost ceramic ferrule. A coupling efficiency of over 50% from free-space excitation laser to the hollow core fiber was obtained through a 350 μm-long solid-core fiber. For proof-of-concept demonstration of bioprocessing monitoring, a series of ethanol and glucose aqueous solutions at different concentrations were used. The limit of detection achieved for the ethanol solutions with our system was ~0.04 vol.% (0.32 g/L). Such an all-fiber microfluidic device is robust, provides Raman measurements with high repeatability and reusability, and is particularly suitable for the in-line monitoring of bioprocesses.

Reduction of the Self-dual Yang-Mills Equations to Sinh-Poisson Equation and Exact Solutions

The geometric properties of differential systems are used to demonstrate how the sinh-poisson equation describes a surface with a constant negative curvature in this paper. The canonical reduction of 4-dimensional self dual Yang Mills theorem is the sinh-poisson equation, which explains pseudo spherical surfaces. We derive the B¨acklund transformations and the travelling wave solution for the sinh-poisson equation in specific. As a result, we discover exact solutions to the self-dual Yang-Mills equations.