Direct laser writing of electro-optic waveguide in chromophore-doped hybrid sol–gel

Abstract

To overcome the influence of chromophore absorption and degradation in the ultraviolet spectral range for direct photopatterning of electro-optic devices, a blue laser writing technique operating at 405nm has been used to fabricate electro-optic waveguides from side-chain disperse red-1 doped photosensitive hybrid sol–gel films. The waveguide has good optical confinement and shows an electro-optic coefficient of about 9.0±0.4pm∕V and high temporal stability. The results indicate that the hybrid sol–gel a promising matrix for chromophores, and this technique can find applications in direct patterning of electro-optic devices from nonlinear chromophores-doped photosensitive materials including sol–gels and polymers.