Rayleigh and Mie scattering in polymer optical fibers.

In this article, the influence of Rayleigh and Mie scattering, which are the main causes of mode mixing in polymer optical fibers (POFs), is investigated. Measurement results obtained from a variety of different POF types ranging from standard POF, high-temperature POF, up to custom-made POF are presented. These measurements are compared to theoretical results obtained from a simplified scattering model. By comparing both results, the contribution of the different scattering sources and mechanisms is characterized independently [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]