Characterization of a Y-Coupler and Its Impact on the Performance of Plastic Optical Fiber Links

Couplers and splitters are common devices in single-mode and multi-mode glass fibers applications, where they perform a variety of functions. However, when switching to plastic optical fibers (POFs), there is a shortage of commercial devices, which are usually custom-made. The problem with these devices is that modal power distribution in POFs is easily modified by spatial disturbances that produce a localized strong power transfer between modes, thus changing their transmission properties. In this work, a commercial Y-coupler designed for POFs is experimentally characterized. Measurements of its spectral, spatial and temporal characteristics have been performed, including insertion loss as a function of wavelength, angular power distribution, and frequency response. The obtained results show that this device has an equalizing effect over the power spatial distribution that reduces the fiber bandwidth, demonstrating the importance of considering the impact of this type of devices on the transmission properties of any POF system.