SiO<sub>2</sub> Nanoparticles-Acrylate Formulations for Core and Cladding in Planar Optical Waveguides

A combination of acrylate formulations and SiO<sub>2</sub> 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-o...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Leonid M. Goldenberg, Mathias Köhler, Christian Dreyer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
Series:Nanomaterials
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/11/5/1210
Description
Summary:A combination of acrylate formulations and SiO<sub>2</sub> 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.
ISSN:2079-4991