Waveguiding properties and the spectrum of modes of hollow-core photonic-crystal fibres

Glass fibres with a hollow core and a two-dimensionally periodic cladding are studied experimentally and theoretically. The spectrum of modes guided in the hollow core of these fibres displays isolated maxima, indicating that waveguiding is supported due to the high reflectivity of the fibre cladding within photonic band gaps. The main properties of the spectrum of modes guided in a hollow core of a photonic-crystal fibre and radiation intensity distribution in these modes are qualitatively explained in terms of the model of a periodic coaxial waveguide.