Asymptotic analysis of silicon based Bragg fibers.

We developed an asymptotic formalism that fully characterizes the propagation and loss properties of a Bragg fiber with finite cladding layers. The formalism is subsequently applied to miniature air-core Bragg fibers with Silicon-based cladding mirrors. The fiber performance is analyzed as a function of the Bragg cladding geometries, the core radius and the material absorption. The problems of fiber core deformation and other defects in Bragg fibers are also addressed using a finite-difference time-domain analysis and a Gaussian beam approximation, respectively.