Wavelength-Tunable Dispersion Compensating Photonic Crystal Fibers Suitable for Conventional/Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing Systems

A strongly dispersion-compensating and wavelength-tunable photonic crystal fiber (WT-DCPCF) based on a hybrid structure of dual-concentric-core photonic crystal fiber (DCC-PCF) structure and depressed-clad photonic crystal fiber (DeC-PCF) is proposed. To enhance the dispersion compensation effect, a hybrid structure of DCC-PCF and DeC-PCF is used as a basic structure. To vary the operation wavelength, some different index rods with same diameter is inserted into the central core of the hybrid fiber. The numeric results show that the operation wavelength is determined by the refractive index of the central rod, and the proposed WT-DCPCF has high chromatic dispersion coefficients of -39895 to -47179 ps/km·nm at a tuned wavelength range of 1509-1610 nm. The proposed module can be used in conventional/coarse wavelength division multiplexing systems in optical fiber communication networks.