Plastic Optical Fiber Coupler By Fused Method

Compared with silica optical fiber, plastic optical fiber has its merit, for example, large core diameter, light weight, easily made, low cost, easily connected and high plasticity, etc. So plastic optical fiber is a preferred material in fiber to the home. And the plastic optical fiber coupler must be developed for matching the plastic optical fiber network and achieving redistribution of optical signal. To the purpose, the subject 'plastic optical fiber coupler' was put forward and supported by National Natural Science Foundation and Hebei province.In this paper, firstly, we expatiate upon the coupling theory in optical wave-guide and performance ,fabricating procedure,merit and defect of all kinds of optical coupler. We decide to fabricate the fused coupler.Secondly,after we study the theory of fused tapered coupler,we detailed the material of plastic optical wave-guide, the rectify of methyl methacrylate(MMA),fabricate plastic wave-guide by the method of interfacial-gel mass polymerization of MMA and the process technology of drawing plastic fiber .Then we get some fused tapered couplers by intertwisting and heating plastic optical fiber. Finally, we test the performance of fused tapered couplers,analysis the test results and give some improvement methods.In view of we are short of money in our study group, some facilities are designed and made by ourselves. In despite of this, we basically complete our experiments and the results are satisfying. The shortage of experiment is that the ratio of fused coupler can't　be controlled while doing the experiment,so the equipments need be improved.