Scattering Properties of an Optical Fiber with a Silica Light-Conducting Core and a Light-Reflecting Shell Fabricated from a Fluorinated Thermoplastic Polymer

The scattering properties of an optical fiber with a silica light-conducting core and a light-reflecting shell made of a fluorinated thermoplastic copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene with Tefzel ethylene have been experimentally studied. It is established that when radiation (lambda = 532 nm) propagates along this fiber, a noticeable scattering of the evanescent part of the wave propagating along the reflective shell is observed. The shell scattering indicatrix, the distribution of the scattered radiation intensity along the fiber axis, and its dependence on the conditions of radiation input into the optical fiber were measured. The total scattered radiation is calculated and compared with the radiation transmitted through an optical fiber. The possibility of using these optical fibers in laser medicine is discussed.