Characterization of a mixed sphere and film waveguide at the 1-microm scale by 0.67-microm laser light propagation

A mixed sphere array and film (MSF) waveguide [a mixed system with a polystyrene microsphere array and a poly(methyl methacrytate) thin film waveguide] was fabricated and characterized at a wavelength of 0.67 microm. The attenuation coefficients of the isolated linear thin-film waveguide and the isolated linear microsphere array were measured to be 0.54 dB/microm and 0.98 dB/sphere, respectively. In the MSF waveguide the attenuation coefficients of the thin-film waveguide and the polystyrene microsphere array were 0.61 dB/microm and 1.17 dB/sphere, respectively. A curvilinear MSF waveguide was also fabricated and characterized. Evanescent wave interaction between the thin-film waveguide and the microsphere array was expected.