[13p-PA2-1~11] 3.14 Optical control devices and optical fibers

[13p-PA2-11] Fabrication of a tatered fiber with the pure silica core by a modified meniscus-etching method

〇Shuji Mononobe¹ (1.Toyo Univ.)

Keywords:near-field optics, etching, optical fiber

Meniscus-etching of a silica fiber has been known as a convenient method for fabricating a near-field optical probe. One can easily obtain the tapered fiber with a cone angle of around 20 deg. by immersing a commercial fiber with the pure silica core in a silicone/HF etchant for 1 hour or less. However, to enhance the throughput of the apertured probe, one has to increase the cone angle. To fabricate the probe with an enlarged cone angle, the author proposes a modified meniscus etching with a very long etching time of 18 hours or more.