Investigation on the stability to UV curing and surrounding temperatures of polymer film for the design of thermo-optic switches

Abstract

Optical switches are the key component in all optical networks that selectively switch signal from one circuit to another. Many different technogies are available to realize an optical switch. Beyond all the technologies, thermo-optic switches has been exceptionally getting increasing attention due to the compensation of polymer material in terms of performance and processing. For pratical applications in optical systems all relevant polymer properties must satisfy strict demands. The outstanding polymer properties can then make the technology superior and the product a commercial succes. For optical switch to maintain switching ability, the refractive index of polymer at a specified temperature must remain stable. Thus, the aim of this work is to investigate the refractive index stability of polymer material HD-4000 by varying the UV cure time and exposing the samples at different temperature levels.