Patterned birefringence by photoinduced depoling in electro-optic polymers and its application to a waveguide polarization splitter

Abstract

Photobleaching by ultraviolet light at 410 nm wavelength of selected electro-optic poled polymers leads to birefringence which can be patterned on a submicron scale. Measurements at 1310 nm of the effect in a azo dye attached to poly(methylmethacrylate) is presented along with data showing the effect is not present is hardened cross linked polymer hosts. An integrated optic polarization splitter using the patterned birefringence has crosstalk at the transverse electric and transverse magnetic outputs of -23 and -27 dB, respectively, and excess loss 0.2 and 0.3 dB at 1310 nm. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)03447-0].