A 1 × 8 Optical Splitter Based on Polycarbonate Multicore Polymer Optical Fibers

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Visible light communication (VLC) systems require efficient optical splitters to enhance performance.
• Polymer optical fiber (POF) offers a promising solution for high-speed data transmission in the visible light spectrum.
• Existing VLC systems face limitations in power loss and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and design an effective 1x8 optical splitter for visible light communication.
• To utilize multicore polycarbonate (PC) POF technology for green light spectrum applications.
• To minimize power losses and enhance the efficiency of optical signal distribution.

Main Methods:

• Design of a 1x8 optical splitter using multicore polycarbonate (PC) POF.
• Optimization of key geometrical parameters using RSoft Photonics CAD suite and beam propagation method (BPM).
• Analysis using MATLAB script codes to determine fabrication tolerance ranges.

Main Results:

• Achieved equal division of green light (530 nm) into eight channels with minimal power loss (0.18 dB) after 2 mm propagation.
• Demonstrated a wide bandwidth of 25 nm and stability with a tolerance of ±8 nm.
• Splitter maintained over 80% of input signal power around the operated wavelength, indicating high efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The proposed 1x8 optical splitter based on PC POF is highly effective for green light spectrum applications.
• The device offers low power loss, high bandwidth, and robust stability, suitable for demanding VLC systems.
• This technology holds significant potential for advancing sensing applications like Raman spectroscopy and bioengineering.