On the characterization of optical waveguides

This thesis presents the realization of a characterization method for optical waveguides in terms of propagation loss. The method employs a highly linear video camera aided by a personal computer running image processing and analysis software. After a brief theoretical overview, the design of the experimental set-up and its realization are introduced. Several optical waveguides are examined using the present method and loss values are obtained for various channel waveguides built on silicon substrates, with the experimental results detailed for two such wafers. The advantages and limitations of the method are also briefly discussed