ABSTRACT
After showing examples of straight and vertical waveguide growth in refractive-index increase (PRI) materials, this chapter describes the influence of write-beam absorption and intensity in the PRI materials on the waveguide growth in order to clarify preferable conditions for Self-Organized Lightwave Network (SOLNET) formation. In order to examine the influence of the write-beam absorption on the optical waveguide growth dynamics, optical waveguides were grown in dye-sensitized photopolymers. However, the sensitizing dyes are bleached by absorbing write beams to reduce the signal beam absorption after the waveguide growth because the photochemical reactions are initiated by dissociation of the dyes. The influence of the write-beam intensity on the optical waveguide growth dynamics were examined by using the PRI sol-gel material developed by Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd. When the write-beam absorption is small enough, on the other hand, a write beam can propagate over a long distance to induce uniform self-focusing all over the PRI materials, growing a long uniform optical waveguide.
