  Although high-transmission-capacity optical fibers are in demand, the problem
of the fiber fuse phenomenon needs to be resolved to prevent the destruction of
fibers. As polymer optical fibers become more prevalent, clarifying their fuse
properties has become important. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a fuse
propagation velocity of 21.9 mm/s, which is 1 to 2 orders of magnitude slower
than that in standard silica fibers. The achieved threshold power density and
proportionality constant between the propagation velocity and the power density
are respectively 1/186 of and 16.8 times the values for silica fibers. An
oscillatory continuous curve instead of periodic voids is formed after the
passage of the fuse. An easy fuse termination method is presented herein, along
with its potential plasma applications.
