Birefringence study of photonic crystal fibers by using the full-vectorial finite element method

Modal solutions of photonic crystal fibers with equal and unequal circular air holes in a hexagonal matrix are presented, by using a rigorous full-vectorial finite element-based approach. The effective indices, mode field profiles, spot-sizes, modal hybridness, modal birefringence and group velocity dispersion values have been determined and presented. The effects of the pitch-distance, hole diameter, structural asymmetry, air hole arrangement and the operating wavelength on the modal birefringence are also reported. It is shown that a significant value of birefringence can be achieved by using only circular air holes, which would be easy to fabricate, and by operating it close to its modal cutoff.