Fabrication of a tapered holey optical fiber and its guiding properties

We have fabricated the tapered HF by using a fusion splicer and a fiber cleaver. We have experimentally observed the near-field mode profile of the HF and tapered HF. The mode field profile of the HF shows a good confinement of its field within the core diameter of the tapered HF. The mode pattern of the HF and tapered HF are all single mode. These properties can be potentially useful for improving the efficient coupling of light from an optical fiber into a planar waveguide.