Optical fiber nanometer-scale Fabry-Perot interferometer formed by the ionic self-assembly monolayer process

The ionic self-assembly monolayer process is a novel technique that has alr eady been used to deposit ultrathin films on glass, polymer, and silicon su bstrates of different sizes and shapes. This technique is presented as a ne w tool with which to apply coatings on optical fibers. A nanometer-scale in terferometric cavity was built up at the end of an optical fiber with discr ete thickness increments of 4.75 nm for a total thickness of 1 mu m. Theore tical and experimental aspects of the nanometer-scale Fabry-Perot cavity ar e described, and both theoretical and experimental results show good agreem ent. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.