Metal-based 1X2 plastic optical fiber (POF) splitter for video over POF system application

Abstract

A 1X2 POF splitter based on a Y-branch metal hollow POF coupler design has been developed. The device is composed of three sections: an input POF waveguide, an intermediate hollow waveguide taper and output POF waveguides. Simulation based on non-sequential ray tracings have been performed on the POF splitter. Low cost aluminum based material has been used for the device substrate. Fabrication of the POF splitters are done by producing the device mold insert using high speed CNC machining tool and short POF fibers at the input and output sections are inserted inside the mold insert before the interfaces of the hollow waveguide taper. The POF splitter has an average insertion loss of 5.8 ± 0.2 dB, excess loss of 2.8 dB and coupling ratio of 1:1. A video-over POF system test-bed consisting of a POF video transmitter and receiver has been constructed with a total transmission length of 10 m. The POF splitter has been tested in the video-over POF system and shows no significant signal degradation.