A low-loss 3D printed ridge waveguide via stereolithography

Ridge waveguides were 3D printed using a stereolithography 3D printer and hydrogel resin formulation. The ridge waveguides were 13, 20 and 30 μm wide, 3-6 μm high and 4.4 mm long. The loss of the waveguides was measured using the cutback method and ranged between 0.28 and 1.2/cm (or 1.2 and 5.2 dB/cm) with transmittances up to 0.94 using 635 nm light. This work demonstrates a quick and inexpensive method to fabricate integrated photonic chips with the promise to fabricate more complex photonic devices.