Fabrication and characterization of polycarbonate microstructured polymer optical fibers for high temperature resistant fiber Bragg grating strain sensors
Here we present the fabrication of a solid core microstructured polymer optical fiber (mPOF) made of polycarbonate (PC) and report the first experimental demonstration of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) written in a PC optical fiber. The PC used in this work has a glass transition temperature of 145degC. We also characterize the mPOF optically and mechanically, and further test the sensitivity of the PC FBG to strain and temperature. We demonstrate that the PC FBG can bear temperatures as high as 125degC without malfunctioning. In contrast, polymethyl methacrylate based FBG technology is generally limited to temperatures below 90degC.