Potentialities of microfibers for non linear optics

Micro- and nanofibers present attractive optical properties and may be used in a variety of structures and devices. We report in this work the first global study on the non linear properties of these microfibers: an adequate source is built and its characteristics are described, our first results with a silica loop resonator are presented. Third harmonic generation is obtained in these conditions, however, the low intrinsic non linear index prevents the generation of large non linear effects. The use of highly non linear materials, such as soft glasses, is therefore discussed, with their potentialities and the challenges their integration with standard microfibers represent.