Abstract
This paper employs the solution-doping technique for the fabrication of active polymer optical fibers (POFs), in which the dopant molecules are directly incorporated into the core of non-doped uncladded fibers. Firstly, we characterize the insertion of a solution of rhodamine B and methanol into the core of the fiber samples at different temperatures, and we show that better optical characteristics, especially in the attenuation coefficient, are achieved at lower temperatures. Moreover, we also analyze the dependence of the emission features of doped fibers on both the propagation distance and the excitation time. Some of these features and the corresponding ones reported in the literature for typical active POFs doped with the same dopant are quantitatively similar among them. This applies to the spectral location of the absorption and the emission bands, the spectral displacement with propagation distance, and the linear attenuation coefficient. The samples prepared in the way described in this work present higher photostability than typical samples reported in the literature, which are prepared in different ways.
Highlights
In the last few years, interest in the field of photonics has increased as a result of the incorporation of functional materials into solid-state organic hosts, especially into polymer optical fibers (POFs) [1,2].As compared to glass fibers, POFs are easier and more economical to manufacture, safer to handle, and much more flexible [3,4]
As the manufacturing temperature of POFs is much lower than that of glass fibers, it is possible to embed a wide range of dopants in the fiber core, from organic dyes and conjugated polymers to other kinds of materials, such as rare-earth ions and quantum dots
Each of the doped POFs to be measured was held in place with xy-micropositioners standing on a linear stage, allowing for the fiber to be maintained completely horizontal while centering the incident laser beam on the fiber symmetry axis
Summary
In the last few years, interest in the field of photonics has increased as a result of the incorporation of functional materials into solid-state organic hosts, especially into polymer optical fibers (POFs) [1,2]. As the manufacturing temperature of POFs is much lower than that of glass fibers, it is possible to embed a wide range of dopants in the fiber core, from organic dyes and conjugated polymers to other kinds of materials, such as rare-earth ions and quantum dots. This work describes a doping procedure, based on the solution-doping technique, in which the incorporation of dopant molecules into the core material is carried out directly into the fiber, instead of into the preform. This procedure opens up the opportunity for any research group to prepare their own ad-hoc doped POFs for any specific application requiring precise characteristics such as distinct dopant molecules or fiber diameters.
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