Design guidelines for collimating or focusing graded-index fiber tips

Graded-index optical fiber probes suitable for focusing or collimating the output of an at a wavelength 1.3 µm have become enabling technology in coherence tomography imaging applications vivo bioimaging. Such tips however remain uncommon other photonics applications. This paper provides first numerical study graded-index covering broad range wavelengths spanning from UV to short-infrared. The dependency and influence probe geometry on performance characteristics such as far-field divergence angle, spot size working distance are analyzed. yields easily accessible design guidelines fabrication tips. Fiber collimators considerable potential use free-space systems could benefit devices variable attenuators, dynamic equalisers large 3D cross-connect switches, whereas high-resolution imaging.