Influence of microdefects on the polarization properties of polymeric optical waveguides studied by polarized near-field scanning optical microscopy

摘要

In the present study, the polarization properties of propagation light within a polymeric optical waveguide were characterized by means of a polarized guide-collection-mode near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) technique, and changes in the polarization properties around an indentation were evaluated. When transverse magnetic polarized light enters a waveguide, the light intensity becomes greater on the near side of the indentation than on the far side, as measured by a linearly polarized component perpendicular to the direction of light propagation. The most probable cause of this phenomenon is microdefects generated by the printing of the indentation. The polarized NSOM technique is useful in searching for small defects or stresses within integrated photonic devices.