Fabrication of a planar polymeric deformation Bragg sensor component by excimer laser radiation

Polymethylmethacrylate is irradiated by a UV-laser in order to modify its optical properties photochemically. Thus, by a lithographic method, the refractive index can be locally increased in a controllable way permitting the manufacturing of integrated-optical waveguiding and dispersive structures at the surface of a planar polymer chip. By this method, a polymeric Bragg sensor in integrated-optical form was fabricated by the UV-light of an excimer laser. The surface topography and the functional properties of the planar polymeric deformation Bragg sensor have been examined. Experiments concerning the evanescent field of the sensor have also been carried out in order to clarify the Bragg reflection mechanism.