Long-length 3D printed hollow-core polymer optical fiber for wideband light guidance

A hollow-core microstructured polymer optical fiber containing a six-pointed star cladding design is directly drawn from a 3D printed preform for wideband light guidance. Fabrication of a complex geometry-based preform is enabled using commercially available translucent polymer filaments in a 3D printer. Light guidance from visible to infrared regions through the core of 57.8 cm long fiber is achieved with a minimum loss of 0.11 dB/cm in the near-infrared spectrum. The bending loss of the proposed design is also investigated to determine the light guidance under a mechanical effect. The modified fabrication process of the polymer optical fiber with novel design could be an alternative to conventional optical fibers for visible and infrared light guidance.