Process for fabricating plastic optical fiber

摘要

A continuous extrusion process is provided capable of producing graded index plastic optical fiber at commercially useful speeds, e.g., at least 1 m/sec for 250 mu m outer diameter fiber. Moreover, it is possible to predict the refractive index profile of the fiber, prior to actual fabrication, by performing a finite element analysis using various parameters of the extrusion process. Such prediction allows one to tune the parameters of the process to obtain a desirable outcome, while avoiding the need for substantial trial and error with the extrusion equipment. <IMAGE>