Optical characterization of wet chemically derived organic-inorganic hybrid (polyceram) films

Abstract

The present investigation is concerned with the processing and characterization of sol-gel derived Polyceram materials. Polycerams, a new class of multi-functional materials, are organic-inorganic composite materials where the components are combined at or near the molecular level. In this dissertation, particular emphasis is attributed to the synthesis, processing and characterization of thin films of Polycerams. Numerous optical characterization techniques were performed to study the passive properties of Polycerams, including index of refraction, optical attenuation, UV transmission and surface embossing. Dielectric waveguides of superior optical quality were obtained and Polycerams proved to be surface patternable with near-perfect shape replication abilities. The above properties are discussed in conjunction with a scattering model which explains the structural homogeneity of Polycerams. Optical losses below 0.15 dB/cm and the simple fabrication of channel waveguides and lenses via surface embossing render Polycerams highly suitable candidates for today's integrated optics technology.