Graded-index plastic optical fiber (GI POF) with high bandwidth and excellent flexibility is a promising candidate for optical interconnects in applications such as data centers, automotives, and households. Recently, we have developed a novel GI POF that enables significantly low-noise data transmission by controlling light scattering properties through the microscopic heterogeneous structures formed in the fiber core material. This novel GI POF can contribute to energy saving and low latency in high-speed communication systems, especially in data centers, because of ultra-stable data transmission without the need for error correction techniques. In this talk, the recent progress of the GI POF technology is presented toward the upcoming Beyond 5G era.
|