16.2 DEVELOPMENT OF POFs
16.2.1 Development in Attenuation of POF
The first POF was demonstrated in the mid-1960s by DuPont. Named ‘‘Crofon,’’
it had a step index (SI) polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) core. Mitsubishi Rayon
commercialized SI POF for the first time with trade name of ‘‘Eska’’ in 1975.
Other major POF manufacturers, Asahi Chemical and Toray, followed in 1980s.
Experimental work on loss reduction of PMMA-core SI POF was conduc ted in
1980s by Kaino et al [1]. They also reported low-loss SI POF experimentally
obtained by employing perdeuterated PMMA [2]. Impressive results were obtained
during the end of 1980s [3, 4].
Among GI-type POFs, the first report of PMMA-core GI POFs was presented
by Keio University in 1976 [5]. Near-parabolic refractive-inde ...