Abstract

A new interfacial-gel copolymerization technique is proposed to prepare steric gradient-index (GRIN) optical waveguides and lens arrays. Since the GRIN profile is obtained from the thin-gel phase formed on the wall of a polymer substrate, many geometrical GRIN materials, such as axial-, radial-, and spherical-GRIN, can be monolithically fabricated. In this paper the principle of GRIN formation is clarified, and a few steric radial-GRIN circuit components are demonstrated.

© 1988 Optical Society of America

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