The Fiber Connection Method Using a Tapered Silica Fiber Tip for Microstructured Polymer Optical Fibers

In this work, an alternative method of coupling light into microstructured polymer fibers is presented. The solution consists in using a fiber taper fabricated with a CO2 laser. The connection is formed by inserting a tapered silica tip into the holes of a microstructured polymer fiber. This alternative method is duly characterized and the feasibility of such fiber connection to enable the polymer fiber as a displacement sensor is also demonstrated.