THREE-DIMENSIONAL OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE HAVING FLEXIBILITY

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flexible optical waveguide for facilitating an optical connection where the optical connection to optical fibers is difficult as there is no allowance in spaces between optical parts. SOLUTION: The three-dimensional optical waveguide characterized by having the org./inorg. hybrid worked to a ridge type having the refractive index higher than the refractive index of a substrate synthesized from metal alkoxide and terminal silanol polydimethylsiloxane on the substrate consisting of the flexible org./inorg. hybrid synthesized from the metal alkoxide and terminal silanol polydimethylsiloxane is freely bendable as both of the substrate and the optical waveguide are formed of the flexible materials having siloxane bond. The optical waveguide contains the inorg. components in addition to the org. components and is, therefore, excellent in heat resistance and allows the easy control of the refractive index by changing the kinds and quantities of the inorg. components.