DIRECT LASER WRITING OF RIDGE OPTICAL WAVE-GUIDES IN SILICA-TITANIA GLASS SOL-GEL FILMS

Sol-gel process is attracting a growing attention as a rather simple t echnology with potential for low-cost batch manufacture of integrated optical waveguides. Here experimental results are presented on the fab rication of silica-titania sol-gel films and on their laser densificat ion, a technique which may be very useful for rapid circuit prototypin g. Transversally multimode waveguides with propagation loss around 1 d B/cm have been produced by selective densification using a CO2 laser. Data from optical and structural analysis of the sol-gel strips are re ported and discussed.