High bandwidth performance of multimode graded-index microstructured polymer optical fibers

The investigation of the bandwidth in multimode graded-index microstructured polymer optical fiber (GI mPOF) with a solid core is proposed using a modal diffusion approach. For a variety of launch radial offsets of multimode GI mPOF, bandwidth is reported by numerically solving the time-dependent power flow equation (TD PFE) using the explicit finite difference method (EFDM) and physics-informed neural networks (PINN). The decline in bandwidth with fiber length becomes slower at fiber lengths close to the coupling length L_c at which an equilibrium mode distribution (EMD) is attained, showing that mode coupling enhances bandwidth at longer fiber lengths. As fiber length is increased, bandwidth approaches complete independence from radial offset, suggesting the steady-state distribution (SSD) has been reached. We compare multimode GI mPOF performance in terms of bandwidth with that of traditional multimode GI POFs made of the same material. Higher bandwidth performance and quicker bandwidth improvement are displayed by the GI mPOF. To enhance fiber performance in GI mPOF links, such a fiber characterization can be used. © 2023 The Author(s).