Abstract
A combination of acrylate formulations and SiO2 nanoparticles is investigated with the aim to improve the optical properties of low-refractive index polymers that are used for the fabrication of planar optical waveguides. A decrease in refractive index and also in the thermo-optic coefficient of nanocomposite materials is clearly demonstrated, while some formulations exhibit an increase in the glass transition temperature. The possibility of using these nanocomposite materials to fabricate waveguiding layers with low optical propagation losses at telecommunication wavelengths around 1550 nm is also shown. The nanomaterials can be applied in optical microchips on polymer platforms.
Highlights
Low-refractive index fluorinated polymers have found an application as passive waveguiding materials in planar optical waveguides [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8] and optical fibers [9]
Two materials are required for the fabrication of a planar optical waveguide
Nanocomposites Based on NP Dispersions in Solvents
Summary
Low-refractive index fluorinated polymers have found an application as passive waveguiding materials in planar optical waveguides [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8] and optical fibers [9]. The main requirements for such materials are low-refractive indices (1.5 or smaller) and low optical propagation losses. The possibility of tuning the thermo-optic coefficient (TOC) is important, while different applications (passive optical waveguides or thermo-optical switches) require different TOC. Materials for passive optical waveguides should exhibit a low TOC. Two materials are required for the fabrication of a planar optical waveguide. The required refractive index contrast between the core and the cladding, which can be 0.05, 0.03 or even lower, is determined by the particular application
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