The Reducing Approaches of Scattering Losses in Polymer Planar Optical Waveguides

The article presents the development prospects of planar optical waveguides for high-speed data transmission systems optoelectronic buses by polymer materials. The advantages and disadvantages of using non-specialized polymeric materials for general use are revealed. The polymer planar optical waveguides fabrication technologies are proposed. The main losses types in planar optical waveguides, the reasons for their occurrence, as well as approaches to their reduction are determined. Using the example of PDMS polymer and soft lithography technology, the technological process critical stages of polymer planar optical waveguides production are noted, which contribute to an scattering losses increase. For each stage, algorithms are proposed to prevent an scattering losses increase. These algorithms were implemented in practice in the manufacture of layouts of polymer planar optical waveguides of the optical-electronic data transmission bus.

Optical Nanocomposites Containing Low Refractive Index MgF2 Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles composed of magnesium fluoride were successfully introduced into polymer matrices used for the fabrication of planar optical waveguides. Optical layers without visible scattering were successfully prepared. The transparent nanocomposites were formulated by direct mixing of modified MgF2 nanoparticles with fluorinated co-polymer matrix or acrylate monomer mixture with a help of additional solvent. An addition of MgF2 nanoparticles results in decrease of refractive index and thermo-optic coefficient of the polymer but increases substantially the optical propagation losses for planar waveguide at 1547 nm.