Ing. Miloš Neruda, DiS.

The direct microdispensing method used for the fabrication of the optical polymer waveguides was demonstrated. The applied method allowed fabricated optical channel waveguides with circular shapes. Optical polydimethylsiloxane elastomers used for the core and cladding layer allowed fabricated optical flexible waveguides with high temperature and chemical stability. The dimensions of the waveguides were optimized for the dimension of the optical fiber with a core diameter of 500 mu m. The applied materials allowed transmitted light for visible and near-infrared spectrums. The average values of the optical losses were lower than - 0.42 dB/cm at 650 nm, 0.40 dB/cm at 850 nm, - 0.5 dB/cm at 1300 nm and - 2.06 dB/cm at 1550 nm.

We report on polymer optical waveguides fabricated by roll-to-plate technology (R2P) nanoimprinting. Our measurement proved that the presented waveguides will allow the realization of optical waveguides with low optical losses at the key optical communication wavelengths at 850 and 1300 nm. We also show low optical losses of these waveguides in the visible spectrum at 530 nm (green light) and 650 nm (red light). The paper has also demonstrated that the R2P fabrication procedure allows the easy fabrication of optical waveguide devices and has great potential for the implementation of optical polymer waveguides for optical interconnection applications.

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.

The paper reports on properties of the elastomer multimode optical channel waveguides. The waveguides were fabricated by the doctor blade technique using the nickel mold with the dimension of the core 50 x 50 mu m(2)and irradiated by gamma rays from 60Co source with the dose rate 1 kGy/h. The applied irradiations were 14.6 kGy and 33.9 kGy and we studied the influence of gamma rays on the properties of the elastomer waveguides. We measured transmission spectra, refractive indices and the waveguide propagation losses. The lowest values of the optical losses were 0.21 dB/cm at 1310 nm and 0.35 dB/cm at 850 nm in the samples irradiated with dose 14.6 kGy and 0.55 dB/cm at 1310 nm and 0.66 dB/cm at 850 nm for the sample irradiated with a higher dose 33.9 kGy. The average value of the optical losses at 650 nm was 0.78 dB/cm (dose 14.6 kGy) and 1.05 dB/cm (dose 33.9 kGy). Optical silicone elastomers have unique properties and can be used for the realization of the optical waveguides for interconnection or realization photonics structures for applications in extreme environments.

We present the properties of the optical elastomer multimode waveguides influenced by gamma radiation. The 60Co source with a dose of 14.6 kGy was used and the lowest optical losses were found 0.25 dB/cm at 1310 nm.

The paper reports on properties of the new optical elastomer used for the realization of the multimode channel waveguides. The waveguides were fabricated by the doctor blade technique using the nickel mould with the dimension of the core 50 × 50 µm2. We measured refractive indices and waveguiding properties of the applied materials by dark mode spectros-copy and the waveguide propagation losses of the channel waveguides were measured using the cut-back method at the wavelengths from visible to infrared region. The optical losses in the infrared spectrum were lower than 0.60 dB/cm and in visible spectrum 0.76 dB/cm at 650 nm.

The paper reports on the fabrication and characterisation of free-standing multimode optical epoxy polymer waveguides consisting of a core made of EpoCore and EpoClad polymer cladding and cover protection layers. The 50 × 50 μm2 rectangular waveguides are intended for short-reach optical interconnection and optimised for an operating wavelength of 850 nm. The waveguides of the proposed shapes were fabricated by a standard photolithography process on a silicon substrate provided with a Poly(vinyl alcohol) thin layer. The free-standing structure was then achieved by peeling the deposited EpoClad/EpoCore/EpoClad structures of that substrate. The optical scattering losses of the created planar waveguides, measured by the fibre probe technique at 632.8 and 964 nm, were 0.30 dB cm−1 at 632.8 nm and 0.17 dB cm−1 at 964 nm. Propagation optical loss measurements for rectangular waveguides were performed by the cut-back method and the best samples had optical losses below 0.55 dB cm−1 at 850 and 1310 nm.

The paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of flexible optical multimode silicon-based organic elastomer planar and rectangular waveguides, where polydimethyl-diphenylsiloxane (PDMDPS) was used for the waveguide core and polydimethylsiloxane was used for the cladding and cover protection layers. We measured waveguiding properties of PDMDPS planar waveguides deposited on glass substrate using the prism coupling technique and the optical scattering losses of the waveguides by the fiber probe technique at the wavelengths region from visible to infrared. The design of the rectangular waveguides was planned for the geometric dimensions of the core 50 x 50 A mu m(2) and the proposed shapes were realized by the doctor blade technique into a nickel mold. Insertion optical loss measurement of rectangular waveguides was done by the cut-back method and the best samples had optical losses lower than 0.35 dB cm(-1) at 532, 650, 850 and 1310 nm. The main virtue of the waveguides is their flexibility, suitable in particular for optical connections in a wide range of the wavelengths.

We report about properties of the optical free-standing flexible multimode Polydimethyl-diphenylsiloxane waveguides for optical interconnection applications. Optical losses of the waveguides were lower than 0.35 dB/cm from visible to near infrared spectrum.

The paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of multimode polymer optical waveguides. Epoxy polymer EpoCore was used as the waveguide core material and EpoClad was used as a cladding and cover protection layer. The design of the waveguides was schemed for geometric dimensions of 50 mu m core and for 850 nm and 1310 nm wavelengths. Proposed shapes of the waveguides were fabricated by standard photolithography process. Optical losses of the planar waveguides were measured by the fibre probe technique at 632.8 nm and 964 nm. Propagation optical loss measurements for rectangular waveguides were done by using the cut-back method and the best samples had optical losses lower than 0.53 dB/cm at 650 nm, 850 nm and 1310 nm.

We report about new approach to design and fabricate multimode 1 x 2 and 1 x 4 Y optical planar power splitter suitable for low-cost short distance optical network. The splitters were designed by beam propagation method using BeamPROPTM software. The dimensions of the splitters were optimized for connecting standard plastic optical fibre with 1 mm diameter. New Norland Optical Adhesives 1625 glues were used as optical waveguide layers and the design structures were completed by CNC engraving on poly(methyl methacrylate) substrate. The best parameters that were achieved with 1x2 splitter were insertion loss around 4.1dB at 650 nm and the coupling ratio 52:48; the best one of the 1x4 splitters had at 650 nm insertion loss around 17.6 dB.