Chloro-fluorinated polyimides for low loss optical waveguides application

Optical polymers which exhibit good thermal stability; controllable refractive index, and low optical loss in the optical communications wavelength of 1.55 mu m were prepared using fluorinated and chloro-fluorinated polyimides. As the chlorine moiety is increased, the refractive indices of polymer are increased from 1.5176 to 1.5714 for TE polarization and from 1.5076 to 1.5590 for TM. polarization at 1.55 mu m. Single mode rib type polymer optical waveguides were fabricated using fluorinated and chloro-fluorinated polyimides. These waveguides exhibit a low propagation loss of less than 0.4 dB/cm at 1.55 mu m; and a very low polarization dependent loss of less than 0.01 dB/cm.