Analysis of replacing an optical fiber core with polymer.

This paper presents the analysis of a 2 cm long in-fiber polymer waveguide formed on the platform of a D-shaped optical fiber. Numerical simulations provide an understanding of the major loss mechanisms for feasible in-fiber polymer waveguide geometries. The primary loss mechanism is determined to be excitation of slab modes on the flat surface of the fiber with transition geometry being the next major contribution to loss.