Plastic Optical Fiber (POF): Advantages and Disadvantages

plastic fiber
optical fiber
fiber optic
communication system
attenuation

This page explores the pros and cons of Plastic Optical Fiber (POF).

What is Plastic Fiber?

Introduction:

  • Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) is an optical fiber where both the core and cladding are made of plastic or polymeric materials. It’s also known as “all plastic fiber.”
  • These fibers are typically manufactured using a simple liquid phase double crucible method.

Plastic Fiber structure

  • Using Polystyrene (PS) as the core material (refractive index ≈ 1.59) and Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as the cladding material (refractive index ≈ 1.49) yields excellent results for plastic fiber. PMMA offers better mechanical properties and high resistance to degradation or chemical attack. PS offers relatively less absorption loss compared to other polymeric materials.
  • Figure 1 (above) illustrates the basic structure of a plastic fiber.
  • All-plastic fibers are best suited for short distances (< 100 meters) and low signal transmission (~ few Mbps) systems. They also find applications as all-plastic strain sensors and acoustic sensors. They are primarily used in the medical and automotive industries.

Benefits or Advantages of Plastic Fiber

Here are the benefits of using Plastic Fiber:

  • Lower Costs: Production and packaging costs are lower compared to glass optical fiber.
  • Flexibility: POF is soft and non-brittle, allowing for greater bending without cracking. It can even be cut with a regular razor.
  • Immunity to Noise: It doesn’t emit any radiation and is immune to noise, so it can be run alongside power cables without interference.
  • Ruggedness and Ease of Installation: More rugged and flexible than glass, making it easier to install.
  • Lightweight: Significantly lighter than glass fibers.
  • Stress Resistance: Can withstand a fair amount of stress.

Drawbacks or Disadvantages of Plastic Fiber

Here are the limitations of Plastic Fiber:

  • High Attenuation and Dispersion: Signal attenuation and dispersion are very high, making them unsuitable for long-distance communication systems.
  • Temperature Sensitivity: The refractive index of the core and cladding changes rapidly at higher temperatures, affecting the Numerical Aperture (NA) and mode pattern.
  • Lower Quality: Generally offers lower performance compared to glass optical fiber.
  • Flammability: It’s flammable and should be used in selected applications only after careful analysis of safety considerations.
Fiber Optic Communication Tutorial

Fiber Optic Communication Tutorial

Learn the basics of fiber optic communication, including components, benefits, optical transmitters/receivers and losses in the fiber optic system.

fiber optic
communication system
optical transmitter

Comprehensive Fiber Optic Training and Course Guide

Explore fiber optic systems, components, testing, and more with this comprehensive training guide. Ideal for engineers seeking to enhance their knowledge in the optical fiber domain.

fiber optic
optical communication
fiber training