Holographic Recording of Bragg Gratings for Wavelength Division Multiplexing in Doped and Partially Polymerized Poly(methyl methacrylate)

Bragg gratings are recorded in doped and partially polymerized poly(methyl methacrylate) with green light (wavelength, 532 nm) in transmission geometry, and the gratings are read in reflection geometry with infrared light (wavelength, ~1550 nm). Diffraction efficiencies of more than 99% with a wavelength bandwidth of ~1 nm are obtained for single gratings with a typical length of 15 mm. Superposition of four gratings in a volume sample has been demonstrated as well. The material is promising for use in the fabrication of add-drop filters, attenuators, switches, and multiplexers-demultiplexers for optical networks that use wavelength division multiplexing. [Optical Society of America ]