2007 OSA/PR 2007

a108_1.pdf TuC2.pdf

3D micro-optic circuits in holographic photopolymers

Robert R. McLeoda, Matthew S. Kirchnerb, Amy C. Sullivanb
a

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-425 a Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-390 mcleod@colorado.edu

Abstract: Three-dimensional direct-write lithography into diffusion-mediated photopolymers developed for holography is shown to create 10 micron single-mode waveguides. We demonstrate low-loss waveguides, 90 degree bends off of encapsulated mirrors and fabrication of waveguides to embedded fibers.
2007 Optical Society of America
OCIS codes: (160.5470) Polymers, (160.2900) Holographic recording materials, (130.3130) Integrated optics materials, (130.6750) Integrated optics systems, (130.2790) Integrated optics guided waves

1. Introduction and motivation

Traditional planar lightwave circuits are formed via etching or indiffusion controlled by lithographic patterning. The two-dimensional geometry is exploited to deposit, diffuse or etch using materials brought in normal to the surface. Similarly, photoresists are controlled by patterns projected onto the circuit plane. Neither chemical access nor twodimensional image projection are possible when creating three dimensional waveguides. When forming three-dimensional optical structures such as waveguides, the inability to introduce auxiliary chemicals demands that the index or absorption features self-develop in response to the optical exposure. This in turn means that the 3D shape of the structure will depend on the 3D optical distribution, not just the plane of best focus. This tends to reduce the utility of mask projection and instead favors holography and direct-write methods. For example, 3D direct-write lithography has been exploited to create waveguides in LiNbO3 [1] and glass [2] using a pulsed laser. Holographic interference has been demonstrated to create lattices of 1. Single-mode guides at 633 nm written into a cm-scale volume strongly coupled Figure via 3D direct-write lithography. These guides are naturally tapered due guides [3]. to the linear absorption of the material, however that taper can be Straight and tapered reduced or removed by decreasing the material absorption and/or waveguides have changing the optical power or speed during recording. been demonstrated in self-developing photopolymers via self-guiding of soliton-like beams [4,5]. Although Dupont demonstrated 2D polymer waveguides [6], 3D direct-write lithography

 2007 OSA/PR 2007

a108_1.pdf TuC2.pdf

has not, until recently [7], been applied to diffusion-mediated, self-developing photopolymers. These materials, primarily developed for applications in volume holography, can be sensitized from the UV to the near IR, are dimensionally stable during recording to less than 0.1%, have M# at least an order of magnitude larger than photorefractive crystals, are extremely sensitive and can be cast to cm thickness at very low cost [8,9]. Here we show that these materials can also be cast around traditional passive optics and then patterned through 3D lithography to create hybrid optical micro-circuits.
2. Experimental demsonstrations

InPhase Tapestry green-sensitive HDS3000 can be cast into 1x1x4 cm volumes using plastic cuvettes as molds. Waveguides are written by translating a 10 to 30 microwatt, 532 nm Gaussian focus parallel to its optical axis through the polymer at 2 mm per second. Single mode waveguides with a 10 micron mode-field diameter fabricated in this fashion are shown in Figure 1. Total losses of this 1 cm sample including free-space to waveguide coupling are less than 1 dB. The matrix polymer gels at room temperature from a liquid to a flexible solid with undetectable levels of shrinkage stress. This enables it to be cast around microoptics. In Figure 2 we show four micron core fiber that is single-mode in the red which has been cleaved and cast into the polymer. The polymer is relatively insensitive to 633 nm so a focus at this wavelength can be coupled into the fiber and detected with a power meter in order to align the 3D lithography stylus to the fiber core. Waveguides are then written as described above, creating a direct fiber-to-waveguide pigtail that does not require alignment of the fiber. Indirect measurements of the waveguide-to-fiber coupling indicate less than 0.5 dB loss.
(a) (b)

(c)

Figure 2. Single-mode red fibers embedded in the polymer (a). Red light introduced into one fiber can be seen via transverse scatter in the polymer. Part (b) shows a phase-contrast micro-photograph of the fiber and waveguide, while in (c) the microscope is operated both in phase-contrast and bright-field mode to show the distribution of light in the polymer.

This same procedure can be used to write waveguides off of front-surface reflectors, as shown in Figure 3. Again, 633 nm light is focused through the right hand face, reflects upwards off of the mirror and is used to locate the fiber core via maximization of coupling efficiency. Once the location of this maximum is detected, ~10 microwatts of 533 nm light is focused beyond the fiber face and the sample is moved rightward, automatically writing a waveguide from the fiber down to the mirror, then off of the mirror and to the output face of the cuvette. We note

 2007 OSA/PR 2007

a108_1.pdf TuC2.pdf

that this procedure is identical with that of Figure 2 but can incorporate any number of sharp bends off of embedded mirrors. Excess loss due to the sharp bend is 0.5 dB.
3. Summary

We have shown that high-quality waveguides can be written into diffusion-mediated photopolymers via 3D lithography using only To power meter 10 microwatts of power. Encapsulated MM Fiber components including single- and multi-mode fibers and front-surface mirrors have been interconnected with these waveguides in ed cm-scale 3D volumes. lat u s ap rror Unique capabilities of c n From HeNe E mi the process are arbitrarily-oriented Polymer sharp waveguide bends o Figure 3. Demonstration of sharp 90 bends off of an embedded and integrated single- front-surface mirror in combination with a waveguide to multimode waveguide to mode fiber coupler. single-mode fiber interconnects.

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