Nanoimprinted passive optical devices

Abstract

We report on the feasibility and process parameters of nanoimprint lithography to fabricate low refractive index passive optical devices. Diffraction gratings printed in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) exhibit a sharp dispersion with a full width at half maximum of about 20 nm. Waveguides were printed in polystyrene (PS) on silicon oxide and had losses between 8–20 dB cm⁻¹ at wavelengths between 650–400 nm, respectively. Finally, one-dimensional photonic structures were also printed in PS and their transmission and morphology characterized. The expected Bragg peak was observed in transmission and atomic force microscopy images have shown a good pattern transfer. A square lattice was printed in PMMA and more than 40 print cycles were obtained, i.e., potentially more than 1000 imprints from one master stamp.