Analysis of the attenuation characteristics of cylindrical waveguides made from the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer

摘要

This article focuses on determining the attenuation properties and homogeneity of cylindrical waveguides made of specific polymer materials. Cylindrical waveguides were made from clear silicone rubbers based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) - Sylgard 184 and RTV615. The mixture of PDMS and the curing agent was homogenized by means of an ultrasonic bath for two different frequencies (20 and 40 kHz) and for different time points (5, 10, and 20 minutes). Curing of the waveguides took place in a heat box at a constant temperature of 70 °C ± 3 °C. This procedure was applied to a total of 180 cylindrical waveguides with the same dimensions and diameter of the core. Attenuation dependencies were tested for two different light emitting diodes (LEDs) with central wavelengths of 470 and 625 nm. The analysis was conducted with respect to the use of PDMS in fiber-optic applications for its good mechanical and optical properties.