From plasmonics to supercontinuum generation: Subwavelength scale devices based on hybrid photonic crystal fibers

Photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) consist of arrays of micrometer-size hollow channels extending along the entire fiber length. A new approach to modify the optical properties and to improve the design flexibility of such fibers is to fill the air holes of the array by with different materials, realizing all-solid hybrid fiber structures. In this talk, recent results on silica PCF filled with noble metals, semiconductors or soft glasses are presented. Depending on the actual material being filled into the holes, we observed plasmonic excitations, Mie-resonances and photonic band gaps.