Chalcogenide suspended-core fibers: Manufacturing and non-linear properties at 1. 55 µm

Chalcogenide glasses are known for their high non-linear optical properties (100 - 1000 times as high as the non linearity of silica glass). To enhance the non-linear properties, As-Se suspended-core fibers were manufactured. First, high-purity glasses were elaborated and moulded to obtain high-quality preforms. After drawing, the diameter of the suspended core can be less than 2 μm, which corresponds to a non-linear parameter γ of nearly 30 000 W
^-1
·km
^-1
. Self-phase modulation, four-wave mixing and Raman effects can be observed and studied in those fibers at the telecom wavelengths.