Sol-gel glass waveguides prepared at low temperature

Planar waveguides of TiO₂-organically modified silanes deposited on glass substrates were prepared by the sol-gel method, either in a pure form or doped by red perylimide laser dye, and their optical properties characterized. The refractive index increases and film thickness decreases as TiO₂ contents rise. Waveguiding in the pure film and the trapped luminescence in the doped films were measured. Typically three guided modes were observed.