Optical waveguides structured with photoaligning polymers.
We present a novel fast fabrication method for making optical waveguides by using a photoaligning and a liquid-crystal polymer. A difference in the refractive indices in the core and cladding regions is achieved by use of polarized UV light to align the polymer chains differently. A refractive-index difference of Deltan = 0.07 was achieved. The propagation loss in a channel waveguide is 4 dB/cm at a wavelength of 1.55 microm. The fabrication method has only a few processing steps and yields short fabrication times. The waveguide structures offer possibilities for generating devices with new applications related to the polarization of the guided light.
Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique CSEM SA, Untere Gründlistrasse 1, 6055 Alpnach, Switzerland. andrin.stump@csem.ch
Andrin
A
Stump
Ulrich
U
Gubler
Christian
C
Bosshard