title: Direct fabrication of PDMS waveguides via low-cost DUV irradiation for optical sensing.
abstract: We demonstrate the fabrication of single mode optical waveguides by irradiating polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with a low cost Hg lamp through a conventional quartz mask. By increasing the refractive index of the irradiated areas, waveguiding is achieved with an attenuation of 0.47 dB/cm at a wavelength of 635 nm. The refractive index change is stable in ambient air and water for time periods of more than 3 months. The excitation of water-dispersed fluorescent nanoparticles in the evanescent field of the waveguide is demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Light Technology Institute, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engesserstr. 13, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valouch
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sieber
authors.forename: Siegfried
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kettlitz
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eschenbaum
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hollenbach
authors.forename: Uli
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lemmer
mesh_terms: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D055096:Optical Devices; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance / Q000295:instrumentation*; D014159:Transducers; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; C013830:baysilon