Directional couplers of gradient-index plastic optical fibers were fabricated and characterized. In particular, we have employed a core-facet technique to make the directional couplers, which require mechanical side polishing and linkage. We have measured insertion loss, excess loss, and coupling ratio of the fabricated couplers as a function of polishing depth and coupling length. We found that polishing depth of <TEX>$\~300{\mu}m$</TEX> and coupling length of <TEX>$\~35mm$</TEX> are optimum conditions for minimizing the insertion and excess losses and for achieving 1: 1 coupling ratio.

© 2005 Optical Society of Korea

1. W. Daum, J. Krauser, P. E. Zamzow, and O. Ziemann, Polymer Optical Fibers for Data Communication, (Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2002), Chap. 2, 3, 4, 5
2. H. J. R. Dutton, Understanding Optical Communications, International Business Machines Corp., pp. 74-77, 1998 [CrossRef]
3. G. Mahlke and P. Gassing, Fiber Optics Cables, (Siemens, Berlin, Germany, 1997), Chap. 6, 7
4. W. Daum, "Standards and Specifications for POF Characterisation," 13th International Plastic Optical Fibers Conf. Proc., pp. 133-139, Sep. 2004
5. H. Y. Lee, W. S. Yang, and W. K. Kim, "Optimization of Ti-indiffused LiNbO3 optical waveguide for fiber coupling," J. Opt. Soc. Korea, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 90-95, 2004 [CrossRef]
6. K. H. Kwon and J. W. Song, "Effect of a conductor cladding on a dielectric slab for coupling with a sidepolished fiber," J. Opt. Soc. Korea, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 180-187, 2003 [CrossRef]
7. Y. Koike, Y. Takezawa, and Y. Ohtsuka, "New interfacialgel copolymerization technique for steric GRIN polymer optical waveguide and lens array," Appl. Opt., vol. 27, pp. 486-491, 1988 [CrossRef]
8. T. Ishigure, A. Horibe, E. Nihei, and Y. Koike, "Highbandwidth, high-numerical aperture graded-index polymer optical fiber," J. Lightwave Tech., vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 1686-1691, 1995 [CrossRef]
9. W. L. Khoe, H. v.d. Boom, G. Yabre, H. de Waardt, Y. Koike, S. Yamazaki, and Y. Kawaharada, "2.5 Gbit/s transmission over 200m PMMA graded index polymer optical fiber using a 645nm narrow spectrum laser and a solicon APD," Microwave Opt. Tech. Lett., vol. 20, no. 3, 1999 [CrossRef]
10. Andreas Weinert, Plastic Optical Fibers, (Siemens, Berlin, Germany, 1999), Chap. 2-4
11. H. Fujita, Foundations of Ultracentrifugal Analysis, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, USA, 1975)
12. S. H. Im, O. O. Park, H. Cho, J. S. Choi, J. G. Park, and J. T. Hwang, "Novel fabrication method of graded index plastic optical fiber," in Proc. ICPOP 2001, Cheju, Korea, 2001

13th International Plastic Optical Fibers Conf. Proc.

• W. Daum, "Standards and Specifications for POF Characterisation," 13th International Plastic Optical Fibers Conf. Proc., pp. 133-139, Sep. 2004

Applied Optics

• Y. Koike, Y. Takezawa, and Y. Ohtsuka, "New interfacialgel copolymerization technique for steric GRIN polymer optical waveguide and lens array," Appl. Opt., vol. 27, pp. 486-491, 1988 [CrossRef]

in Proc. ICPOP 2001

• S. H. Im, O. O. Park, H. Cho, J. S. Choi, J. G. Park, and J. T. Hwang, "Novel fabrication method of graded index plastic optical fiber," in Proc. ICPOP 2001, Cheju, Korea, 2001

Journal of the Optical Society of Korea

• H. Y. Lee, W. S. Yang, and W. K. Kim, "Optimization of Ti-indiffused LiNbO3 optical waveguide for fiber coupling," J. Opt. Soc. Korea, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 90-95, 2004 [CrossRef]
• K. H. Kwon and J. W. Song, "Effect of a conductor cladding on a dielectric slab for coupling with a sidepolished fiber," J. Opt. Soc. Korea, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 180-187, 2003 [CrossRef]

Lightwave Technology, Journal of

• T. Ishigure, A. Horibe, E. Nihei, and Y. Koike, "Highbandwidth, high-numerical aperture graded-index polymer optical fiber," J. Lightwave Tech., vol. 13, no. 8, pp. 1686-1691, 1995 [CrossRef]

Microwave and Optical Technology Letters

• W. L. Khoe, H. v.d. Boom, G. Yabre, H. de Waardt, Y. Koike, S. Yamazaki, and Y. Kawaharada, "2.5 Gbit/s transmission over 200m PMMA graded index polymer optical fiber using a 645nm narrow spectrum laser and a solicon APD," Microwave Opt. Tech. Lett., vol. 20, no. 3, 1999 [CrossRef]

Other

• Andreas Weinert, Plastic Optical Fibers, (Siemens, Berlin, Germany, 1999), Chap. 2-4
• H. Fujita, Foundations of Ultracentrifugal Analysis, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, USA, 1975)
• W. Daum, J. Krauser, P. E. Zamzow, and O. Ziemann, Polymer Optical Fibers for Data Communication, (Springer, Berlin, Germany, 2002), Chap. 2, 3, 4, 5
• H. J. R. Dutton, Understanding Optical Communications, International Business Machines Corp., pp. 74-77, 1998 [CrossRef]
• G. Mahlke and P. Gassing, Fiber Optics Cables, (Siemens, Berlin, Germany, 1997), Chap. 6, 7

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