Stretchable optical waveguides

We introduce the concept of mechanically stretchable optical waveguides. The technology to fabricate these waveguides is based on a cost-efficient replication method, employing commercially available polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) materials. Furthermore, VCSELs (lambda = 850 nm) and photodiodes, embedded in a flexible package, were integrated with the waveguides to obtain a truly bendable, stretchable and mechanically deformable optical link. Since these sources and detectors were integrated, it was possible to determine the influence of bending and stretching on the waveguide performance. (C) 2014 Optical Society of America