title: Ion-implanted polymethyl methacrylate beam splitter/coupler for 1.55 microm applications.
abstract: The applicability of layers of ion-implanted polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) for beam splitting of laser light at the telecommunications wavelength of 1.55 mum is examined. Bulk PMMA is studied, subjected to low-energy (50 keV) silicon ion implantation at various ion fluences in the range from 10(14) to 10(17) cm(-2). The formed ultrathin near-surface ion-implanted layer of a thickness of about 100 nm, buried in a depth of approximately 100 nm, can be used to split (or combine) laser beams at 1.55 microm with a low absorption loss.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Optics and Spectroscopy, Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Boulevard, BG-1784 Sofia, Bulgaria. georgibh@issp.bas.bg
authors.forename: Georgi B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Hadjichristov
authors.forename: Ivan L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Stefanov