All-polymer multimaterial optical fiber fabrication for high temperature applications

In this work, we report the fabrication of an all-polymer multimaterial optical fiber based on two different grades cyclo-olefin polymers (known as Zeonex) and high-performance thermoplastic polysulfone (PSU) with glass transition temperature (Tg) 189°C. The core/cladding structure using Zeonex (E48R/480R, respectively) was developed a co-extrusion method followed by rod-in-tube approach to form final preform. materials were characterized in terms their Tg, viscosity well refractive index profiles. preform thermally drawn down ∼300 µm ∼70 total core diameter, respectively. We compared our step-index commercially available polymer (Cytop) purely single-mode fiber. proposed exhibited stable operation at temperatures high 180°C being ∼35°C higher than any reported so far best knowledge. Therefore, believe that results constitute significant step forward for community making efficient route towards truly heat-resistant applications.