Precision Process Control for Fabrication of High-Performance Polymer Optical Fiber

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This grant provides funding to study and enable processing of high-performance (i.e. very high bandwidth) polymer optical fiber using precision process control. The team will investigate the precision control of the optical fiber's refractive index profile across the fiber radius to achieve high bandwidth transmission. The new methodology will produce nanometer scale pores by control of the diffusion of gaseous carbon dioxide into a cylindrical polymer preform at elevated pressure, generating a non-equilibrium, supersaturated solution of carbon dioxide in the polymer and a resulting change in CO2 concentration as a function of the radial position. The optical fiber has the potential to enable gigahertz data transmission. A combination of modeling and experimental tasks will explore the transport behavior and control of carbon dioxide in optical grade polymer.Polymer optical fiber has a lower modulus of elasticity compared to silica glass, allowing it to be manufactured with larger fiber diameters, making fiber connections easier and cheaper. For short-range applications with a large number of connections, the system cost can be dramatically reduced using polymer optical fiber. If the research is successful, polymer optical fiber will offer a completely new opportunity to provide secure, low-cost, user-friendly media for extending high bandwidth to all aspects of society: homes, businesses, data centers, and everyday modes of transportation including entertainment in aircraft and automobiles.