This application relates generally to polymer materials comprising nanoscale ceramic particles for use as a coating in clad pump fiber lasers, including those that function at eye-safer wavelengths and the related method of making them. Fluorinated polymers that possess low refractive index, low optical loss, and high thermal stability are combined with fluorinated ceramic nanoparticles that possess low refractive index and high thermal conductivity to develop a polymer material.

An optical fiber including a glass core, and a polymer cladding formed around the glass core, the polymer cladding containing a mixture of a polymerizable composition and a silane coupling agent, and a fluorine-based ultraviolet curable resin. The mixture contains 5 to 95 parts by weight of the silane coupling agent based on 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the mixture. The fluorine-based ultraviolet curable resin alone has a refractive index in a range of 1.350 to 1.420 after ultraviolet curing. A component originated from the silane coupling agent is concentrated within a range of 20 m or less in the polymer cladding from an interface between the glass core and the polymer cladding.

An optical fiber including a glass core, and a polymer cladding formed around the glass core, the polymer cladding containing a mixture of a polymerizable composition and a silane coupling agent, and a fluorine-based ultraviolet curable resin. The mixture contains 5 to 95 parts by weight of the silane coupling agent based on 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the mixture. The fluorine-based ultraviolet curable resin alone has a refractive index in a range of 1.350 to 1.420 after ultraviolet curing. A component originated from the silane coupling agent is concentrated within a range of 20 m or less in the polymer cladding from an interface between the glass core and the polymer cladding.

A plastic optical fiber for a medical device lighting decreases the cost of a lens and simplify the design of a lighting apparatus, wherein the plastic optical fiber for a medical device includes a core composed of a (co)polymer containing methyl methacrylate as a main component and is characterized by including a cladding material composed of a copolymer having a fluorine weight composition ratio of 60 to 74%, and by having a theoretical numerical aperture, NA, of 0.48 to 0.65 and, thus, the plastic optical fiber has a high numerical aperture and also has excellent translucency and flexibility.

A plastic optical fiber for a medical device lighting decreases the cost of a lens and simplify the design of a lighting apparatus, wherein the plastic optical fiber for a medical device includes a core composed of a (co)polymer containing methyl methacrylate as a main component and is characterized by including a cladding material composed of a copolymer having a fluorine weight composition ratio of 60 to 74%, and by having a theoretical numerical aperture, NA, of 0.48 to 0.65 and, thus, the plastic optical fiber has a high numerical aperture and also has excellent translucency and flexibility.

There is provided an optical waveguide laminate in which an organic base material layer comprised of an insulation layer and a coverlay is laminated to one surface of an optical waveguide and in which a portion of the organic base material layer is lacking so that the optical waveguide is uncovered. Inequalities P70% and PQ25% are satisfied where P is the laser light transmittance in at least a portion of the optical waveguide, the laser light having a predetermined wavelength range, and Q is the laser light transmittance of at least a portion of the organic base material layer. In this optical waveguide laminate, the organic base material layer laminated to the optical waveguide is elaborately removed without being impaired or thermally damaged by laser machining.

There is provided an optical waveguide laminate in which an organic base material layer comprised of an insulation layer and a coverlay is laminated to one surface of an optical waveguide and in which a portion of the organic base material layer is lacking so that the optical waveguide is uncovered. Inequalities P70% and PQ25% are satisfied where P is the laser light transmittance in at least a portion of the optical waveguide, the laser light having a predetermined wavelength range, and Q is the laser light transmittance of at least a portion of the organic base material layer. In this optical waveguide laminate, the organic base material layer laminated to the optical waveguide is elaborately removed without being impaired or thermally damaged by laser machining.

An optical waveguide provided and includes: a core forming layer with a high refractive index; and a first clad layer with a low refractive index, bonded to a first main surface of the core forming layer. The core forming layer is provided in its plane direction with a core portion, lateral clad portions each having one side adjacent to a corresponding side of the core portion, and high refractive index portions each adjacent to the other side of a corresponding one of the lateral clad portions. The core portion is provided in its plane direction with a central region, and GI regions in each of which a refractive index continuously decreases from the central region toward an interface with the corresponding one of the lateral clad portions. The lateral clad portions each include a region having a constant refractive index.

An optical waveguide provided and includes: a core forming layer with a high refractive index; and a first clad layer with a low refractive index, bonded to a first main surface of the core forming layer. The core forming layer is provided in its plane direction with a core portion, lateral clad portions each having one side adjacent to a corresponding side of the core portion, and high refractive index portions each adjacent to the other side of a corresponding one of the lateral clad portions. The core portion is provided in its plane direction with a central region, and GI regions in each of which a refractive index continuously decreases from the central region toward an interface with the corresponding one of the lateral clad portions. The lateral clad portions each include a region having a constant refractive index.

This invention relates to a method of preparing a planar optical waveguide assembly comprising the steps of: (i) applying a curable silicone composition to a surface of a substrate to form a film; (ii) exposing the product of step (i) to ultraviolet light to form a lower clad layer; (iii) applying a photo sensitive composition on top of the lower clad layer to form a core layer on top of the lower clad layer, wherein the photo sensitive composition comprises: (A) a siloxane resin composition comprising 0 to 95 mole present of R.sup.1SiO.sub.3/2 siloxane units, 0 to 95 mole percent of R.sup.2SiO.sub.3/2 siloxane units, and 1 to 99.9 mole percent of (R.sup.3O).sub.bSiO.sub.(4-b)/2 siloxane units wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen, an alkyl group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms, an aromatic group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or an epoxy functional group, R.sup.2 is a fluoroalkyl group containing 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R.sup.3 is independently selected from the group consisting of branched alkyl groups containing 3 to 30 carbon atoms, b has a value of 1 to 3, and wherein the siloxane resin composition the siloxane resin contains a molar ratio of R.sup.1SiO.sub.3/2+R.sup.2SiO.sub.3/2 siloxane units to (R.sup.3O).sub.bSiO.sub.(4-b)/2 siloxane units of 1:99 to 99:1 and wherein the sum of R.sup.1SiO.sub.3/2 siloxane units, R.sup.2SiO.sub.3/2 siloxane units, and (R.sup.3O).sub.bSiO.sub.(4-b)/2 siloxane units is at least 5 mole percent of the total siloxane units in the resin composition; (B) a photo acid generator (PAG); and (C) an organic solvent; (iv) exposing the product of step (iii) to ultraviolet light through a mask to selectively irradiate the core layer to create both exposed and unexposed regions to form a patterned waveguide structure; (v) heating the patterned waveguide structure of step (iv); (vi) applying a developing solvent to the product of step (v); (vii) applying a curable silicone composition onto the top layer of the product of step (vi) wherein the curable silicone composition has a lower refractive index than the curable silicone composition of step (i); (viii) exposing the product of step (vii) to ultraviolet light; (viv) heating the product of step (viii) to form a planar optical waveguide assembly.