Quantitative estimates of mode coupling and differential modal attenuation in perfluorinated graded-index plastic optical fiber

• Published in: Journal of lightwave technology Vol. 21; no. 1; pp. 111 - 121
• Main Authors: Golowich, S.E., White, W., Reed, W.A., Knudsen, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-01-2003; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Attenuation; Circuit properties; Defects; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Estimates; Estimating; Exact sciences and technology; Fibers; Fluctuations; Glass; Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Joining; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical attenuators; Optical coupling; Optical fiber communication; Optical fiber losses; Optical fiber theory; Optical fibers; Plastics; Polymers; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Performance evaluation; Integrated optics; plastic optical fiber; Multimode fibers; Differential modal attenuation; Mode coupling; Optical transmission; Optical telecommunication; Gradient index; optical communications; multimode fiber; Optical fiber
• ISSN: 0733-8724; 1558-2213
• DOI: 10.1109/JLT.2003.808668

The performance of plastic optical fiber is greatly influenced by the related but distinct effects of mode coupling and differential modal attenuation (DMA). We establish a method for estimating the matrix that governs both of these effects and allows us to distinguish the two. We obtain partial quantitative estimates of this matrix for a particular graded-index plastic optical fiber (GI-POF). The sample we studied exhibited strong but incomplete mode coupling over 100-m lengths, while DMA was largely limited to a centerline defect. We show that much of the loss of the fiber can be attributed to mode coupling between mode groups with similar effective indexes.