Microstructured Polymer Optical Fibre: Introducing a New Technology

Microstructured polymer optical fibres (mPOF) are a 'new' type of polymer optical fibre based on photonic crystal fibre or microstructured fibre technology. Rather than using two polymers to define core and cladding, mPOF use an array of holes running the length of the fibre to control the light. This allows for optical properties that exceed what is possible otherwise.

Some specific examples will be covered in this presentation:

• Single mode POF, operating in the visible, and combined with gratings for strain sensing. Up to 25% strain has been demonstrated.
  
  
• Mutli-mode POF with a non-constant bandwidth-length product. The bandwidth of the fibres stops decreasing beyond a certain length and 20 Gbits/s for 40 - 70 m have been demonstrated.
  
  
• Hollow-core mPOF. Light is guided in an air core rather than the polymer itself, and hence material absorption is greatly reduced in the infra red. The talk will also review the fabrication methods and applications of these fibres.