STTR PHASE I: A Novel Continuous Production Method for Rugged Gradient Index Plastic Optical Fiber

这个STTR一期项目将展示连续生产坚固、低含水率、高带宽、梯度折射率塑料光纤的可行性。日本现有的生产方法导致的带宽比理论上可能的带宽少三到十倍，而且光纤的带宽不稳定，也无法复制。生产速率本质上受到工艺的批性质和多步骤程序的限制。在美国，高速塑料网络（HSPN）联盟成立于1994年，由高级研究计划局拨款500万美元支持。该团队的一名成员已经授权了一项日本批量技术来制造上述类型的纤维。该项目将开发一种新颖、低成本、连续的纤维生产工艺。该光纤将具有2 GHz的稳定带宽。这种光纤在-40℃至+ 150℃范围内稳定，吸湿率低，衰减小于150dB/ km，辐射强度高达1000 Rad。这种光纤有望在高速局域网中发挥巨大作用。局域网的带宽不足以满足未来几年的预期需求。梯度折射率塑料光纤将是最具成本效益的解决方案，具有足够的带宽。目前，对于这种纤维的坚固版，还没有令人满意的生产工艺。＊＊＊

*** 9632052 Walker This STTR Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of a continuous process of producing rugged, low moisture content, high bandwidth, gradient index plastic optical fiber. Existing Japanese production methods result in bandwidths which are three to ten times less than theoretically possible, and the bandwidth of the fiber is not stable and reproducible. The production rate is intrinsically limited by the batch nature of the process and, or, multi-step procedure. In the United States, the High-Speed Plastic Network (HSPN) consortium was formed in 1994, and is supported by a $5 million Advanced Research Projects Agency grant. A member of that team has licensed one of the Japanese batch technologies to fabricate the above type of fiber. This project will develop a novel, low cost, continous production process for the fiber. The fiber will have a stable bandwidth of 2 GHz.km, be stable from -40 C to + 150 C, have low moisture uptake, attenuation of less than 150dB/kilometer and be stable to radiation exposure up to 1000 Rad. This type of fiber is expected to have great utility in high speed local area networks. Local area networks have inadequate band width for the anticipated needs in the coming years. Gradient index plastic optical fiber will be the most cost effective solution with adequate band-width. At present there is no satisfactory production process for a rugged version of this fiber. ***