Negative curvature fiber (NCF) polarization filter with large polarization loss ratio and ultralow loss in the terahertz range

A high-performance polarization filter based on the negative curvature fiber (NCF) with an asymmetric cladding structure is proposed and analyzed. The resonant effects of the x-polarization fundamental mode (XPFM) of the NCF are enhanced by the single-layer semi-elliptical tubes with a gradient wall thickness in the x-axis direction, while the anti-resonant effects of the y-polarization fundamental mode (YPFM) are strengthened by the nested double-layer elliptical tubes in the y-axis direction. The optimized structure shows a polarization loss ratio of greater than 100 in the range of 0.98–1.02 THz in addition to propagation losses of 0.94 dB/m and 7.43 × 10⁻⁴ dB/m at 1 THz for XPFM and YPFM, respectively. A polarization loss ratio of 1,276 is achieved and the polarization loss ratio is 6,321 at 0.98 THz. Our results show that the NCF polarization filter delivers better performance than recently reported filters in the terahertz band and the results reveal a new strategy to design high-performance polarization filters. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.