Temperature dependence of index of refraction of polymericwaveguides

The temperature dependence of refractive index of polymer films was determined for a number of slab waveguides by a grating coupling method. This dependence was examined as a function of parameters such as molecular weight and glass transition temperature of the polymer. Temperature-induced changes in N_TE-N_TM , N being the effective index, were studied systematically for different slab waveguide compositions. It is shown that with proper device design and choice of polymeric materials, thermal effects can be reduced