Effects of cladding on the emission of doped plastic optical fibres

Abstract

The effect of the cladding on the emission properties of doped plastic optical fibres has been analyzed by using the side‐illumination technique. For that purpose, the photoluminescence spectra of cladded and uncladed plastic optical fibres, both with the same doped core material, have been compared. In particular, we study the dependence of the emitted intensity on the launching angle and on the propagation distance. We also analyze the angular distribution of the emitted light as a function of the propagation distance through the fibres. Using this information, we have characterized the optical losses in both kinds of optical fibres. The study has been performed in plastic optical fibres doped with a conjugated polymer. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Effects of Fabrication Methods on the Performance of Luminescent Solar Concentrators Based on Doped Polymer Optical Fibers

“…Besides the quality of the fibers, the low output signals of the analyzed fibers can be due to their low dye concentration, the short illuminated fiber-length ( z e = 5 cm), the absence of cladding in the fibers and the non-use of external devices. It is well-known that a thin cladding in a doped fiber causes a decrease in the transmission losses, and consequently, an increase in the overall efficiency [ 32 ]. Therefore, the output signal from the fibers could be easily improved by illuminating longer fiber-lengths, by employing higher dopant concentrations, by covering them with a thin cladding or by placing a mirror or a diffuser below them.…”