Title :
A new method for producing graded index PMMA waveguides
Author :
White, V. ; Ghodssi, R. ; Fish, G. ; Herdey, C. ; Liu, H. ; Denton, D.D. ; McCaughan, L.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Wisconsin Univ., Madison, WI, USA
fDate :
7/1/1995 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
We report a new method for producing graded index polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) waveguides using optical densification by angled X-ray exposure. The resulting larger refractive index near the surface of the waveguide serves to better isolate the guided light from potentially absorbing or scattering substrates than in waveguides of constant refractive index. We calculate that a 65/spl deg/ angle exposure in 6-μm-thick planar PMMA waveguide shifts the peak of the fundamental mode profile /spl sim/0.5 μm away from the substrate. Consistent with this result, we measure a reduction in the propagation loss of PMMA planar waveguides on a Ni substrate from 1.5 dB/cm to 0.5 dB/cm after angle X-ray exposure.
Keywords :
X-ray effects; gradient index optics; optical fabrication; optical losses; optical planar waveguides; optical polymers; refractive index; Ni; Ni substrate; absorbing substrates; angled X-ray exposure; fundamental mode; graded index PMMA planar waveguides; optical densification; polymethyl methacrylate; propagation loss; refractive index; scattering substrates; Light scattering; Optical refraction; Optical scattering; Optical surface waves; Optical variables control; Optical waveguides; Planar waveguides; Refractive index; Surface waves; X-ray scattering;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
