Manufacturing of Polymer Optical Waveguides for 3D-Opto-MID: Review of the OPTAVER Process

In order to meet the increasing demand for data transmission over short distances of up to 100 m, the Optical Assembly and Connection Technology for Component-Integrated Bus Systems (OPTAVER) research group, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), developed a process for the additive manufacturing of three-dimensional optical waveguides. The research group focuses on design and modeling, simulation, and manufacturing polymer optical waveguides to produce 3D-Opto-Mechatronic-Integrated Devices (3D-Opto-MID). Inside 3D-Opto-MID, an optical coupler is presented based on an asymmetrical coupling principle. This paper reviews the entire process chain and the corresponding research results of the OPTAVER process.