Optical transmission of PMMA optical fibres exposed to high intensity UVA and visible blue light

Optical transmission of PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate) POF (polymer optical fibre) in the spectral range from 280 to 450 nm is investigated with a high radiation emission source comprising a mercury lamp delivering 40 W/cm(2) at the PMMA POF launch face. The heat generated from the radiation source causes a sudden drop in the launched radiation due to thermal-oxidation and photo-degradation of the launch face of the PMMA POF; this results in a loss of 53% of the total launched power within 13 min of exposure to the source. The thermal-oxidation degradation is controlled by a cooling device which improves the transmission stability of the fibre. However, photo-degradation is still active and causes a loss in power of 7% in 13 min. The spectral output of the transmitted radiation through the PMMA POF was monitored and indicates the variation in optical loss with wavelength. High rates of nominal absorption for the irradiated PMMA POF are found below 320 nm wavelength. From the Beer-Lambert law, the photo-degradation effect with time of a fixed path length of PMMA POF is described by the absorption coefficient (a(lambda), cm(-1)). The nominal absorption coefficient a(lambda). values in the range 335-368 nm wavelength are found to be higher after 1 h of irradiation than the values in the range 406-438 nm. However, the relative change in the nominal absorption coefficient Delta alpha(lambda) is greater at 438 nm than at 335 nm, 368 or 406 nm. After 1 h of irradiation with the cooling device in place, the PMMA POF transmission was reduced to 44.8% of its initial value; this recovered to a maximum of 86% of the original transmission of the total launched power after 5 weeks in ambient conditions. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.