Polarization-Maintaining and Gyroscopic Applications of Anti-Resonant Hollow-Core Fibers

Anti‑resonant hollow‑core fibers (AR‑HCFs) have evolved from proof‑of‑concept designs to real‑world deployment, demonstrating record‑low loss, over  700  nm data transmission bandwidth, and exceptional power handling capabilities. The next frontier may lie in mastering polarization control—a long-standing challenge in weakly-guided waveguides like hollow-core fibers.

In this webinar, Prof. Ding will demystify the physical principles governing birefringence in AR‑HCFs and present recent advances in design strategies, semi‑empirical models, and fabrication techniques that enable stable linear polarization over hundreds of meters.

The session will also explore emerging optical gyroscopic applications based on AR-HCFs with environmental adaptability.

Attendees will gain a designer’s perspective on polarization management, see side‑by‑side performance versus solid‑core PM fibers, and learn practical insights for integrating AR‑HCFs into sensing or communication systems. Whether you work in academia or industry, this session will help you assess when— and how —polarization‑maintaining AR-HCFs can benefit your next project.

Subject Matter Level: Intermediate - Assumes basic knowledge of the topic

What You Will Learn:
• Guiding principles of Anti-Resonant Hollow-Core Fibers (AR-HCFs)
• Key design strategies for birefringent AR‑HCFs
• How AR-HCFs enhance bias stability in fiber-optic gyroscopes

Who Should Attend:
• Graduate students & early‑career researchers with interests in hollow core fiber
• Optical engineers
• R&D managers scouting next‑gen specialty fibers

About the Presenter: Wei Ding from Jinan University, China

Wei Ding is a Full Professor at Jinan University, China. His research spans micro-structured optical fibers, nanophotonics, near-field scanning optical microscopy, nonlinear optics, and optical fiber communications. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics and Electronic Engineering, respectively, from Peking University (China) and his Ph.D. degree from University of Bath (UK). Prof. Wei Ding has authored  70+ peer-reviewed papers in journals such as Nature Communications, Laser & Photonics Reviews, Optica, and Photonics Research, and holds more than 10 patents. His work on anti‑resonant hollow‑core fibers (AR‑HCFs) was selected among the "Top Ten Developments in Optics in China (2018)". In 2022 he was anonymously nominated as an Optica Senior Member. He has served on multiple conference program committees and regularly delivers invited talks on advanced fiber technologies.