Plastic Optical Fiber

Why? Plastic optical fiber network (POF), a large core, and from the office and home network media can be expected. Plastic optical fiber network is inexpensive injection - molded plastic connector that links the total cost of the semicircle, which can have a large core can be used.

The POF has its own problems. The main obstacle is the high-plastic fiber signal loss (attenuation). A commercially available PMMA phase PMMA-POF indicator light indicating the interior, and 100 db / km is used as a weakness. This significantly POF data communications applications, application control weaknesses over 100m high.

This is good news, however. Developers, that PF amorphous polymers - gradient-index plastic optical fibers PMMA-based plastic fiber attenuation is found to remove the problem. A polymer PF-gradient index (government), 10 db / km, with an attenuation of the POF. On the basis of theoretical calculations, PF polymer - silica-based GI POF - based glass fiber, and can achieve the same level 0.3dB/km of relief.

When the optimal PF polymer - based GI POF in the refractive index higher than 10 GB / sec data transfer rate can be achieved by the profiles of more than 1 km. The PF polymer is inherently low loss and low material dispersion properties.

Together, the high bandwidth and low cost for the entire connection is theoretically possible, PF polymers - based on gradient-index plastic optical fiber network is a huge potential for applications in fiber optic communications.