Integrated optical interconnects using photobleachable guest host polymers

"This proposal is in response to Solicitation BMDO/ 02-211B - Optical Devices -----We propose to demonstrate an integrated planar optical interconnection technology using photobleachable guest host polymers. The technology first concerns identifying a stable guest host material wherein successful photobleaching of the dye guest resultsin a change of index of refraction of the bleached area. The guest host material and the photobleaching technique are then used to successively generate a hologram and a waveguide structure in a single device. The resulting devices couples the verticallyincident light into a planar geometry, demultiplex the light into different wavelengths, and then guides the demultiplexed light to different output ports. Such an integrated multifunctional optical interconnect could be extremely compact, and shouldcontribute to advances in intra-computer communications. The devices should also find many uses in optical communications both in military as well as in commercial applications, and due to its simplicity in fabrication process, should have a great costadvantage compared to other technologies. This is a project that the Company will involve with broad community collaborations that will directly benefit both Photonport and the State institutions involved. The project will jumpstarts the integrated opticalcomponents development effort at the Company. We expect to produce rugged, high performance multifunctional o