Solid photonic bandgap fiber assisted by an extra air-clad structure for low-loss operation around 15 µm

We demonstrate that our previous loss results [1] in an all-solid photonic bandgap fiber were in fact limited by bend loss. A new design, based on the addition of an extra ring of air holes on the outside of the all solid photonic bandgap structure, is then proposed, realized and characterized. We demonstrate that it significantly reduces both the fiber diameter and its sensitivity to bend loss.