Newport MKS Photonic Crystal Fiber Patch Cord, Endlessly SM, 2 m, 8.5 µm, FC/APC F-SM8-C-2FCA

The F-SM8-C-2FCA is a 2 m long fiber patch cord with FC/APC connectors at both ends. The F-SM8 (NKT P/N LMA-8 )Endlessly Singlemode Photonic Crystal Fiber is an un-doped silica fiber that uses a triangular pattern of air holes to form the cladding. Since the index contrast between the core and the cladding, Δn, is determined only by the geometry of the air holes, it is possible to fabricate fibers with a very small and accurate Δn, and thus obtain very low numerical apertures and very large mode areas. This type of fiber is single-mode over a very broad wavelength range above 260 nm, with a practically constant mode-field diameter (MFD) of 6.0 ± 1.0 μm. At short wavelengths, the fibers' performance is limited by macro-bending losses, which determines the practical wavelength range for applications. The F-SM Series PCFs are typically used where single-mode, high-power delivery is required without introducing non-linear effects. Coupling light into and out of an F-SM fiber is as simple as for standard doped-glass optical fibers. In a free-space set-up, the optics should match the NA of the fiber and be diffraction limited in order to obtain a low-loss coupling. Since the MFD is practically constant, the NA is proportional to the wavelength, which should be considered in the design of coupling optics for a broad wavelength range. Please note that the ends of the fiber patchcord are sealed so that polishing liquid or debris do not enter the microstructure of the fiber. Therefore, it is not suitable for butt coupling with another fiber patchcord, resulting in excessive coupling loss. Always focus the beam directly from the light source to optimize coupling efficiency.