Broadband optical hollow core fiber (HCF) with an attenuation lower than 0.1 decibel per kilometer

We report a microstructured optical waveguide with unprecedented transmission bandwidth and attenuation, with a measured loss of 0.091 dB km at 1,550 nm that remains below 0.2 dB km over a window of 66 THz. Instead of a traditional solid glass core, this innovative hollow core fiber (HCF) features a core of air surrounded by a meticulously engineered glass microstructure to guide light. This approach not only reduces attenuation and other signal degradation phenomena, but it also increases transmission speeds by 45%. Furthermore, the approach theoretically supports further loss reductions and operation at wavelengths where broader bandwidth amplifiers exist, potentially heralding a new era in long-distance communications as well as remote delivery of laser beams.