The present invention relates to the use of dopants for polymer optical fibres or polymer waveguides containing the dopants, sensors in the polymer optical fibres or polymer waveguides, which may be used in the biomedical industry for the measurement of different physiological and physical variables.

A fiber optic cable includes a first optical fiber, a jacket, and a second optical fiber. The first optical fiber includes a glass core and cladding. The glass core is configured to provide controlled transmission of light through the fiber optic cable for high-speed data communication. The jacket has an interior surface that defines a conduit through which the first optical fiber extends. The jacket further has an exterior surface that defines the outside of the fiber optic cable. The second optical fiber is integrated with the exterior surface of the jacket.

Provided are an apparatus and method for manufacturing an optical wire. The apparatus includes a wire forming module configured to form an optical wire for optically coupling a first point to a second point, an image acquisition module configured to acquire an image of the optical wire, a curing module configured to cure the optical wire, and a control module. The control module checks a shape and position of the optical wire through the image acquired by the image acquisition module and outputs a control signal to the curing module so that ultraviolet (UV) light is emitted to the optical wire.

Inorganic siloxane ladder polymers with metal-aza/thio crown complexes, and methods of making and using such siloxane ladder polymers are disclosed. The polymers described herein may exhibit self-healing properties, a low dielectric constant, and a low refractive index. These siloxane ladder polymers are anchored to transparent, high-refractive index (RI) metal nanoparticles, such as ZrO.sub.2, via aza/thio crown macromolecules. The siloxane ladder polymers may be considered as living polymer network since the polymer active chain ends may further undergo anionic polymerization.

A method for establishing optical coupling between spatially separated first and second planar waveguides includes arranging an optical interconnect on the first planar waveguide. The optical interconnect has first and second end portions and an intermediate portion. Each of the end portions has an inverse taper. The second planar waveguide is arranged on the optical interconnect so that the second planar waveguide overlaps with one of the inverse tapered end portions but not the other inverse tapered end portion to thereby enable an adiabatic transition of an optical signal from the first planar waveguide to the second planar waveguide via the optical interconnect. The first and second planar waveguides have different refractive indices at an operating wavelength and the optical interconnect have a higher refractive index at the operating wavelength than the refractive indices of a core of the first planar waveguide and a core of the second planar waveguide.

Cured films for forming polymer layers useful in the manufacture of optical devices, particularly optical waveguides, and methods of forming such devices are provided.