Optical self-trapping in a photopolymer doped with Ag nanoparticles: a single-step route to metallodielectric cylindrical waveguides

A cw, visible laser beam self-traps by initiating free-radical polymerization in an organosiloxane photopolymer doped with a well-characterized distribution of Ag nanoparticles. The self-trapped beam propagates over long distances (≫Rayleigh range) without diverging and permanently inscribes a cylindrical metallodielectric waveguide containing a dispersion of Ag nanoparticles. The self-trapped beam evolves from single-mode to multimode guidance over time; the effects of nanoparticle concentration on multimode dynamics were investigated. These findings open room temperature, soft polymer-based pathways where self-action effects including self-trapping and modulation instability can be exploited to spontaneously generate three-dimensional metallodielectric single or multiple cylindrical waveguides.