Low loss HEMA/EMA copolymer waveguides with a range of wetting and optical properties

摘要

AbstractHomopolymers and copolymers of optical grade hydroxyethyl methacryiate (HEMA) and ethyl methacrylate (EMA) were synthesized with bulk copolymer compositions of 0, 10, 43, 75, 86, 89, and 100 mol HEMA. Attenuated total reflection IR (ATR‐IR) and X‐ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies showed an unhydrated surface composition that varied insignificantly from the bulk. Polymer surface wettability, percent swelling of the copolymers in water, and the bulk refractive index increased with increasing HEMA content. High‐quality thin‐film integrated optical waveguides (IOW) were spun cast from copolymer solutions with propagation losses of<1 dB/cm. Waveguide refractive indices determined from coupling angle measurements agreed closely with the bulk measurements. These results show that HEMA/EMA copolymers that form transparent films produce polymer IOWs with a range of bulk swellabilities, surface wettabilities, and optical densities. © 1993 John WileyS