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.
Stump
Andrin
A
Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique CSEM SA, Untere Gründlistrasse 1, 6055 Alpnach, Switzerland. andrin.stump@csem.ch
Gubler
Ulrich
U
Bosshard
Christian
C