Abstract
The graded-index plastic optical fiber (GI-POF) is expected to be a
communication medium for the next-generation optical home network because
of its simple-to-use connection, installation, and high bandwidth. In spite
of the expectation, we had a problem that a typical GI-POF using poly (methyl
methacrylate) (PMMA) had high transmission loss in the expected communication
wavelength band (VCSEL: 670–680 nm) for home networks; the required
values of being below 200 dB/km could not be achieved. We, therefore, propose
poly (2, 2, 2-trichloroethyl methacrylate) (PTCEMA) as a base material for
the GI-POF. A PTCEMA-based GI-POF was fabricated, and its characteristics
were evaluated. The PTCEMA is a prominent material in terms of its transparency
and heat-resistant property. Our results demonstrated that the fabricated
fiber surpassed the desired characteristics for the home network pertaining
to attenuation and heat resistance. Specifically, the attenuation in the wavelength
band (670–680 nm) was 104–136 dB/km, and the glass transition
temperature $(T_{\rm g})$ was 102$^{\circ}$C in the core center where the $T_{\rm g}$ was at its lowest. Moreover, we
confirmed that our PTCEMA-based GI-POF had sufficient mechanical strength
and low bending loss. These results indicate that our novel GI-POF can be
a candidate for home networks.
© 2011 IEEE
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