ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses organic molecular solids for optical applications and the linear optical properties of materials such as plastic optical fibers, organic polymer optical waveguides, and data-recording substrates. It describes polymer optical waveguides and their application to devices and focuses on the fabrication processes and the thermal characteristics of the waveguides. The chapter also discusses other optical components using organic molecules. It explains ultimate transmission loss limit of polymeric materials using fluorine-deuterium-introduced core optical fibers. Light scattering due to the presence of contaminant particles within the core is a major potential source of loss in optical fibers. Birefringent components are used for optical polarization devices such as polarizers, waveplates, and beam splitters. A UV-visible spectrometer is used to measure electronic transition absorption. Water absorbed in polymers is also one of the candidates to increase loss. Poly(methylmethacrylate) has a water absorption coefficient higher by one order than polystyrene.
