Optimizing fluorinated poly(arylene ether)s for optical waveguide applications

• Published in: Optical materials Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 189 - 194
• Main Authors: Jiang, Jia, Callender, Claire L., Blanchetière, Chantal, Jacob, Sarkis, Noad, Julian P., Ding, Jianfu, Qi, Yinghua, Day, Michael
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.02.2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Birefringence; Circuit properties; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-linking; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorinated poly(arylene ether); Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical loss; Optical materials; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of specific thin films; Optics; Physics; Polymers and organics; Polymers; organic compounds; Refractive index; Wave optics; Waveguide; Fluorinated poly(arylene ether); Optical loss; Cross-linking; Refractive index; 78.66.Q; Birefringence; 42.70.J; Waveguide; Ether; 42.70.J Fluorinated poly(arylene ether); Fluorine containing polymer; Refraction index; Experimental study; Thin film; Photonics; Optical losses; Aromatic compound; Optical waveguide; Copolymer
• ISSN: 0925-3467; 1873-1252
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2004.07.020

Novel fluorinated aromatic polyether ketones and sulfones bearing cross-linkable tetrafluorostyrene groups have been synthesized for photonic applications. These polymers exhibit high thermal stability and low optical loss at telecommunication wavelengths. Incorporation of fluorinated aliphatic compounds into these polymer cross-linked networks during thin film processing can decrease the film birefringence due to changes in the rigidity of the polymer structures. The resulting copolymer shows the same slab loss as the original polymer. Polymer ridge waveguide structures have been fabricated and characterized.