Side-Coupled Asymmetric Plastic Optical Fiber Coupler for Optical Sensor Systems

Abstract

This paper reports a side-coupled asymmetric 1×2 plastic optical fiber coupler for an optical sensor system. The dependence of the optical power coupling ratio on the coupling angle and refractive index of the adhesion layer in both the forward and backward directions was examined based on the geometrical optics. It was confirmed experimentally that the coupling ratios can be optimized by controlling the coupling angle and refractive index of the adhesion layer. A maximum forward coupling efficiency > 93% was achieved.

4 × 4 Plastic Optical Fiber Star Coupler Incorporated with a Common Polymer Waveguide Optical Power Distribution Region

“…In all applications of POF optical networks, proper couplers are required to split or combine the optical signals. There have been many approaches to fabricate POF couplers, such as side-polishing [4], side-coupling [5], twisting and fusion [6,7], molding [8], hollow taper waveguides [9], mixing rods [10], and so on. The requirement for POF couplers includes small excess loss, equal power 266 K. T. Kim et al splitting among multiple output channels, easy extension of the number of input/output channels, and mass reproducibility.…”

Fabrication and Characterization of N×N Plastic Optical Fiber Star Coupler based on Fused Combining

“…In particular, the optical network used in automobiles is evolving from a ring bus network into a star network as the demand for high speed data communication grows. [1] There have been many approaches to the fabrication of POF couplers, such as side-polishing, [2,3] twisting and fusing, [4,5] molding, [6] mixing rods, [7] using hollow taper waveguide, [8] one dimensional layer cavity [9] and polymer rectangular waveguide. [10] High performance as well as simple fabrication for mass production is required for the POF couplers.…”

“…Therefore, undesired Fresnel reflection and optical excess loss may occur at interfaces. Though, the side-polishing and twisting and fusing method [3,4] do not need the additional intermediate mediua, those methods demand time consuming and sophisticated processes such as side-polishing and fusing. Recently, we have reported a 4×4 type POF star coupler [12] based on heating and fusing which shows high performance and mass productivity at the same time.…”

Fused combined plastic optical fiber star coupler

“…There have been many approaches to the fabrication of POF couplers, such as side-polishing, twisting and fusing , molding , mixing rods , using hollow taper waveguide, one dimensional layer cavity polymer rectangular waveguide, metallic waveguide methods [1][2][3][4]. In this paper, we have examined feasibility of the fused combining technology for general N  N type of POF star couplers and reported performance of the devices.…”