Low-loss polymeric optical waveguides fabricated with deuterated polyfluoromethacrylate

Deuterated polyfluoromethacrylate which has high transparency, low birefringence and good processability was newly synthesized for use as optical waveguide materials, and both single-mode and multimode optical waveguides were fabricated using the polymer. The propagation loss and waveguide birefringence of the single-mode waveguides were as low as 0.10 dB/cm and -5.5/spl times/10/sup -6/ at 1.31 /spl mu/m, respectively. The propagation losses of the multimode waveguides were less than 0.02 dB/cm at both 0.68 and 0.83 /spl mu/m, and 0.07 dB/cm at 1.31 /spl mu/m.