Abstract

We have attempted to measure the optical attenuation in ferroelectric and electro-optic thin film channel waveguides. Under the assumption that the scattering sites are homogeneous within the waveguide, we can trace the intensity variation inside the waveguide by measuring the intensity variation of the scattering. The measurement is carried out by using a thin fiber scanning along the waveguide to collect scattering. The fiber is held vertically and close to the waveguide surface, and the collected light is detected by PMT and then recorded by computer. The advantage of this method is that it avoids the coupling efficiency, which is hard to determine. The PLZT and BaTiO₃ films are fabricated by using a rf sputtering technique, and channel waveguides about 6 to 20 µm in width are fabricated by using ion milling. The results are reported for both PLZT and BaTiO₃ waveguides at 632 nm and 1064 nm.

© 1992 Optical Society of America