Heat-Resistant Flexible-Film Optical Waveguides from Fluorinated Polyimides (original) (raw)

With all-optical communication systems penetrating into metro and access networks, the cost reduction becomes now the single important issue for deployment of WDM networks to such areas. Due to different functionalities, ease of fabrication, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with other materials, polymers are emerging as a new material platform for waveguide and integrated-optical devices. In this paper, the status and the trends of polymeric waveguide materials and different waveguide and integrated-optical devices for optical communications will be reviewed.