Principle of POF

The POF—Polymer Optical Fiber—is an optical waveguide consisting of an highly transparent polymer.

The core is surrounded by a thin cladding with a lower refractive index n. Through total reflection the light is guided inside of the core.

Different core materials result in different attenuation and application temperature ranges. The refractive index difference defines the maximum angle and thus the time delay of different beams (determining the bandwidth).

Complex index profiles allow an increased bandwidth and reduced bending loss.