Plastic optical fibres (POF) in sensing: current status and prospects (Invited Paper)

Abstract

POF has found wide use in multimode intensity-based sensor applications. The characteristics of POF, limit the link (sensor)length to a few tens of meters and the sensor operational temperature cannot exceed 80°C. However, when these limitations are not important, POF sensors can offer their most significant advantage over corresponding glass fibre sensors, and this is a significantly lower system cost. Following recent new developments in POF technology, such as fibre gratings and microstructured POF, one looks forward to new and more exciting POF sensor applications. The future of POF sensors is concluded as optimistic.