Structural and mechanical properties of polymeric optical fiber

Refractive index, fiber cross section, Young's modulus, tensile strength, loading-unloading property, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, and differential scanning calorimetry of a single mode polymethyl-methacrylate optical fiber, fabricated in our laboratory, were measured and discussed. The results show that, the polymeric optical fiber exhibits large strain range. This kind of fiber written with Bragg grating is suitable for embedding in some flexible structures and materials for strain monitoring. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.