Analytical Assessment of the Total Loss in Tubular Hollow-Core Fibers Considering Their Fabrication Process

Hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HCPCFs) have become a key enabling technology for addressing a broad spectrum of fundamental and applied needs. Indeed, recent advancements achieved by the HCPCF research community have led to significant progress, establishing these fibers as the lowest-loss optical fibers currently available for use in the visible and ultraviolet ranges. However, the fabrication process of HCPCFs demands costly infrastructure, and achieving ultralow-loss fibers remains a complex technical challenge as numerous fabrication attempts are typically required to optimize their performances. Therefore, predicting these fibers’ performances before experimental fabrication is highly desirable. In this work, the total loss in tubular-lattice HCPCFs during their fabrication process is analytically assessed. By considering the variation in the microstructure’s geometrical parameters during fabrication and the different sources of loss, the expected loss levels are estimated and the conditions for loss minimization are identified. Thus, this research provides valuable insights into the fabrication process of hollow-core fibers, offering a predictive approach to evaluate the fibers’ performance before their experimental realization. By determining optimal conditions considering geometry, fabrication constraints, and loss figures, this work contributes to the ongoing efforts to further reduce the loss levels in HCPCFs.