Manufacturing of Polymer-based 1×2 Y-branch Symmetric and Asymmetric Waveguide Coupler through Moulding Technique

Manufacturing of Y-branch coupler depends on high technology production equipment and in-factory accuracy assembly tools. The manufacturing of a 1×2 Y-branch symmetric and asymmetric waveguide coupler based on the mould replication process and Epoxy OG142 as an optical core is presented; an alternative to provide a less complex technique. The polymer optical waveguide adopted two basic designs: the 1×2 Y-branch symmetric coupler as the core structure and the 1×2 asymmetric coupler that allows non-symmetric optical splitting. This paper focused on the main structure fabrication of the 1×2 symmetric and asymmetric waveguide coupler that produces a power output. The fabrication was done by engraving acrylic to produce a master mould using CNC machining tools for optical devices. Both 1×2 devices were made via soft lithography, which duplicated the pattern from the master mould onto a second mould to produce an actual device. Optical polymer epoxy OG142 was injected into the second mould, of which the product was then put on top of acrylic. The device was completed after curing the optical polymer glue, epoxy OG142, by exposing the assembly on the second mould under UV light until both parts bonded. The difference between the simulation and design TOFR value was only ±2%. This showed that the simulation and design are in good agreement, which provides similar performance.

Simultaneous Determination of Refractive Index and Thickness of Submicron Optical Polymer Films from Transmission Spectra

High-transparency polymers, called optical polymers (OPs), are used in many thin-film devices, for which the knowledge of film thickness (h) and refractive index (n) is generally required. Spectrophotometry is a cost-effective, simple and fast non-destructive method often used to determine these parameters simultaneously, but its application is limited to films where h > 500 nm. Here, a simple spectrophotometric method is reported to obtain simultaneously the n and h of a sub-micron OP film (down to values of a few tenths of a nm) from its transmission spectrum. The method is valid for any OP where the n dispersion curve follows a two-coefficient Cauchy function and complies with a certain equation involving n at two different wavelengths. Remarkably, such an equation is determined through the analysis of n data for a wide set of commercial OPs, and its general validity is demonstrated. Films of various OPs (pristine or doped with fluorescent compounds), typically used in applications such as thin-film organic lasers, are prepared, and n and h are simultaneously determined with the proposed procedure. The success of the method is confirmed with variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry.

Optical Polymer Waveguides Fabricated by Roll-to-Plate Nanoimprinting Technique

The paper reports on the properties of UV-curable inorganic-organic hybrid polymer multimode optical channel waveguides fabricated by roll-to-plate (R2P) nanoimprinting. We measured transmission spectra, refractive indices of the applied polymer materials, and optimized the R2P fabrication process. Optical losses of the waveguides were measured by the cut-back method at wavelengths of 532, 650, 850, 1310, and 1550 nm. The lowest optical losses were measured at 850 nm and the lowest average value was 0.19 dB/cm, and optical losses at 1310 nm were 0.42 dB/cm and 0.25 dB/cm at 650 nm respectively. The study has demonstrated that nanoimprinting has great potential for the implementation of optical polymer waveguides not only for optical interconnection applications.

Vortex Polymer Optical Fiber with 64 Stable OAM States

This research introduces a numerical design of an air-core vortex polymer optical fiber in cyclic transparent optical polymer (CYTOP) that propagates 32 orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes, i.e., it may support up to 64 stable OAM-states considering left- and right-handed circular polarizations. This fiber seeks to be an alternative to increase the capacity of short-range optical communication systems multiplexed by modes, in agreement with the high demand of low-cost, insensitive-to-bending and easy-to-handle fibers similar to others optical fibers fabricated in polymers. This novel fiber possesses unique characteristics: a diameter of 50 µm that would allow a high mechanical compatibility with commercially available polymer optical fibers, a difference of effective index between neighbor OAM modes of around 10−4 over a bandwidth from 1 to 1.6 µm, propagation losses of approximately 15 × 10−3 dB/m for all OAM modes, and a very low dispersion for OAM higher order modes (±l = 16) of up to +2.5 ps/km-nm compared with OAM lower order modes at a telecom wavelength of 1.3 µm, in which the CYTOP exhibits a minimal attenuation. The spectra of mutual coupling coefficients between modes are computed considering small bends of up to 3 cm of radius and slight ellipticity in the ring of up to 5%. Results show lower-charge weights for higher order OAM modes.

Sensor of high frequency electric fields intensity on the base of slot waveguides with electro-optic polymer filling

Purpose. Development of the structure and operation principles of high frequency electric fields intensity optical sensor. Methods. Method of lines was used for calculation of propagation constants and mode electric fields distribution of strip waveguides with vertical and horizontal slots filled with electro-optical polymer SEO125. Findings. The structure and operation principles of high frequency electric fields intensity sensor on the base of slot waveguides with vertical and horizontal slots filled with electro-optical polymer are proposed. Sensor makes it possible measuring the variable electric fields with frequencies up to 10 MHz. The sensor sensitivity order is of 30 V/m. Application field of research. Determination of fire-dangerous and injurious factors of electric field during emergencies elimination.