Low index-contrast photonic bandgap fiber for transmission of short pulsed light

The use of low-index-contrast photonic bandgap (PBG) fiber for transmission of short pulsed light is discussed. PBG fibers have positive waveguide dispersion at long wavelengths at which conventional index-guiding fibers have negative waveguide dispersion. PBG fibers with low-index contrast can be used to obtain fibers with zero dispersion and a large mode area below 800 nm$+3$/. The results show that the PBG fiber is less sensitive to nonlinear effects and allows transmission of considerably larger intensities.