Spectral dependence of scattered light in step-index polymer optical fibers by side-illumination technique

Abstract

In this study, we investigate the spectral distribution of the light scattered in step-index polymer optical fibers by illuminating the fibers transversely to their symmetry axis. For that purpose, we have performed wavelength-dependent scattering measurements over the spectral range 400-750 nm in three different commercial step-index polymer optical fibers. We have estimated the mean size of the most influential scattering centers in these polymer optical fibers, analyzing theoretically the experimental results obtained.