Air-Holes Collapse Properties of Photonic Crystal Fiber in Heating Process by $\hbox {CO}_{2}$ Laser

For the fusion splicing of photonic crystal fiber (PCF), the air-hole collapse in heating process is important for minimizing the splicing loss. To analyze the air-hole collapse properties in heating process by CO₂ laser, a theoretical model of PCF has been proposed. The variation relationships among the splicing loss, air-hole collapse, and heating time are analyzed, respectively. The results show that the theoretical simulation is basically in accordance with the experimental data. Thus, the air-hole collapse can be controlled by adjusting the splicing power and heating time. Errors are also given.