Theoretical investigation of bending loss in step-index plastic optical fibers

Abstract

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. Behavior of the step-index plastic optical fibers (SI POFs) is examined in a straight-curved configuration for various launching conditions and fiber curvature. This was achieved by applying the power flow equation to calculate the power distribution at the end of the straight fiber segment that precedes the curved one, allowing calculation of the power loss for the latter. We have shown that a small bend radius (r<0.04 m) and launch angles close to the critical angle should be avoided when using this type of SI POF in power delivery and communication systems. These results may be useful when choosing between various operating fiber conditions in order to prevent possibly high bending-induced losses.