Thin-film Interference Demultiplexer for VIS-WDM

In short-range communication 1 mm PMMA Step Index Polymeric Optical Fibers established itself as a reasonable. alternative to the traditional data communication media such as glass fibers, copper cables and wireless systems. Due to multiple advantages such as a large core diameter, tolerance to fiber facet damages and low installation costs, the SI-POF is typically used for network systems in homes, vehicles and industrial automation. For wavelength division multiplex an optical demultiplexer is a key component. The paper concentrates on the demultiplexing techniques employing thin-film interference filters used in Polymeric Fiber Transmission Systems. An interference filter-based Step Index Polymeric Optical Fibers demultiplexer was realized using a precisely adjustable. opto-mechanical setup, which allowed maximization of the optical throughput in the individual channels. Intermediate setups with two and three channels were first established. In addition, a serial and a two-stage configuration of a target setup with four channels were realized. It was shown that the latter configuration outperformed the former one in terms of Insertion Loss (IL) and IL uniformity. Furthermore, the demultiplexer with two-stage configuration provided low insertion loss (< 5.7 dB) and high channel isolation (> 30 dB). It outperformed other interference filter- based SI-POF demultiplexers reported so far, and was well suited for implementation in high- speed POF WDM transmission experiments. To demonstrate experimentally the feasibility and potential of a high-speed POF WDM concept, a four-channel data transmission setup was realized.