Analytical Analysis of Side-Polished Plastic Optical Fiber as Curvature and Refractive Index Sensor

The modeling of a side-polished plastic optical fiber as a sensor of two distinct physical parameters is presented. A comprehensive analytical study is performed using a geometric optic approach. Different details are taken into account, such as the geometric description of the sensor, the intensity profile of the emitter, and the possibility of a multireflection for a light ray at the sensitive area. The good agreement between the experimental and theoretical results validates the developed analytical model.