Polarization Properties of Elliptical Hole Liquid Crystal Photonic Bandgap Fibres

The characteristics of triangular Photonic Crystal Fibers (PCF) with elliptical holes filled with a Nematic Liquid Crystal are investigated theoretically. The analysis carried out using the Finite Element Method, including also material dispersion effects, will show that the Liquid Crystal anisotropy and the hole ellipticity allow some not yet predicted phenomena, such as polarization dependent losses and birefringence sign change in the wavelength range used for standard telecom fibers. Control of these features allows the design of new devices for sensing or telecommunication applications