Abstract

Several recent publications have considered the effect of temperature variations on the phase of coherent guided light in an optical fiber. These studies have been directed toward the development of fiber-optic thermal^1-3 and air-acoustic⁴ sensors. Some applications of fiber optics, however, may require the desensitization, rather than the enhancement, of the fiber's thermal response. The design of fibers with a specific response to temperature variations requires a systematic study of the thermal transport process within the fiber. Analytic and experimental results for aluminum- jacketed fiber have been published previously.¹ The results for plastic-jacketed fibers are of interest because of the widespread use of such fibers.

© 1983 Optical Society of America