Silicon Carbide-Infiltrated Photonic Crystal Fiber: High Birefringence and Nonlinear Optics Enhancements

Abstract This paper presents a novel Silicon Carbide (SiC)-infiltrated rectangular slotted-core modified circular photonic crystal fiber (PCF) optimized for advanced photonic applications. By incorporating SiC into the fiber's structure, we significantly enhance key optical properties, including high birefringence (0.813 at 1550 nm), substantial nonlinear coefficients (1.122×104 W-1km-1 for x-polarization and 3.542×103 W-1km-1 for y-polarization), and low confinement losses (4.736×10-6 dB/cm for x-polarization and 1.088×10-6 dB/cm for y-polarization). These enhancements enable robust polarization control and support high-power nonlinear optical processes. The unique rectangular slotted-core design also improves dispersion characteristics, with chromatic dispersion values of −857 ps/(nm•km) for x-polarization and −5489 ps/(nm•km) for y-polarization at a 1.55 µm wavelength, ensuring superior signal integrity over broad wavelength ranges. Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations, conducted in COMSOL, validate the fiber's performance metrics, including effective area, beat length, and wavelength-dependent refractive indices. This study demonstrates the potential of SiC-PCF for applications in high-precision sensing, nonlinear optics, and telecommunications, where enhanced birefringence, polarization maintenance, and broadband dispersion control are critical. The integration of SiC also provides improved thermal stability and nonlinear optical properties, making this fiber highly suitable for next-generation photonic technologies.