Flexible thin-film polymer waveguides fabricated in an industrial roll-to-roll process.

The fabrication of flexible low-loss, thin-film, foil-based polymer waveguides with grating couplers employing a high-volume industrial roll-to-roll process is demonstrated. The embossed waveguides feature propagation losses of less than 1 dB/cm (633 nm, TE polarization), bending losses of 0.4-0.8 dB/360 degrees for bending radii as small as 2 mm, and grating coupling efficiencies of up to 25%. In addition, the waveguides possess a thermo-optic coefficient of -1.58 x 10(-4) 1/degrees C. The fabricated waveguides are promising candidates for short-distance data communication as well as for sensing applications. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America