Large Core Planar 1 x 2 Optical Power Splitter with Acrylate and Epoxy Resin Waveguides on Polydimetylsiloxane Substrate

Abstract

Fabrication process of multimode 1 x 2 optical rectangular planar power splitter suitable for low-cost short distance optical network is presented. The splitters were designed by beam propagation method for standard input/output plastic optical fibre. Materials used for the splitter were: UV acrylate photopolymer polymer or epoxy resin for optical core waveguide layers and Y-groove substrate for the core layer was poly(methyl methacrylate) or polydimetylsiloxane made by replication process on poly(methyl methacrylate) pattern. The insertion losses of 1x2 splitters with acrylate waveguide layers were around 2.7 dB at 532 nm and 4.1 dB at 650 nm and those for epoxy resin waveguide layer were around 3.7 dB at 850 nm. The 1x2 splitters were tested by signal transmission being connected to the internet network by using optoelectronic switches and we achieved the maximum possible transmission data rate as provided by the computer network.