Photoinitiator-free laser fabrication of ultra-compact, low-loss waveguides in polydimethylsiloxane

Ye Pu; Giulia Panusa; Jieping Wang; Christophe Moser; Demetri Psaltis

doi:10.1117/12.2318265

28 September 2018 Photoinitiator-free laser fabrication of ultra-compact, low-loss waveguides in polydimethylsiloxane

Ye Pu, Giulia Panusa, Jieping Wang, Christophe Moser, Demetri Psaltis

Proceedings Volume 10735, Liquid Crystals XXII; 1073504 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2318265
Event: SPIE Organic Photonics + Electronics, 2018, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Owing to its excellent elasticity, wide spectral range of transparency, and outstanding chemical and thermal stability, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is an elastomer of great technological importance, being widely used in the fabrication of microfluidic and optofluidic devices in particular. Compact, low loss optical waveguides are crucial in such devices for a dense integration of optical functionalities. Compared with photolithographic methods, multiphoton laser direct writing through photopolymerization has shown great promise in the fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) optical waveguides in PDMS without the limit of planar structures. Here we demonstrate a multiphoton laser direct writing process that produces low-loss, ultra-compact waveguides in PDMS. The fabrication employs a self-initiated multiphoton polymerization of phenylacetylene infused in PDMS without additional photoinitiator. The elimination of the photoinitiator results in an excellent refractive index homogeneity and thus a low propagation loss due to scattering, as well as a greater biocompatibility by involving the fewest possible chemicals (monomer only) in the polymerization reaction. Our characterizations show that the waveguides fabricated as such are on average 1.3 µm wide with a refractive index contrast of 0.06 and a propagation loss of 0.03 dB/cm in the spectral band of 650-700 nm. Our technique will enable a broad range of applications spanning from wearable photonics to chip-scale optical interconnects.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Ye Pu, Giulia Panusa, Jieping Wang, Christophe Moser, and Demetri Psaltis "Photoinitiator-free laser fabrication of ultra-compact, low-loss waveguides in polydimethylsiloxane", Proc. SPIE 10735, Liquid Crystals XXII, 1073504 (28 September 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2318265

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available