Polymer waveguides useful over a very wide wavelength range from the ultraviolet to infrared

We have designed and fabricated polymer waveguides using the glassy polymers Cytop(TM) (a fluorinated polyether), PMMA C-6 [poly(methyl methacrylate)], and Cyclotene(TM) 3022-35 (bisbenzocyclobutane). Since these materials exhibit excellent transparency over a wide wavelength range, and since the refractive index difference of Cytop(TM) and Cyclotene(TM) or Cytop(TM) and PMMA is greater than 0.19, both Cytop(TM)/Cyclotene(TM)/Cytop(TM) and Cytop(TM)/PMMA/Cytop(TM) waveguide structures can be employed over a very wide wavelength range from the ultraviolet to the infrared. Efficient waveguiding is achieved for different light sources with 390, 633, 1064, 1310, and 1550 nm wavelengths. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)01145-1].