Peculiarities of holographic microfabrication of photonic structures in functional polymer nanocomposites

Abstract Nanocomposites based on urethane-acrylate monomers stabilized at high concentration of silica nanoparticles were fabricated and investigated with the aim to produce efficient volume Bragg grating elements. Their sensitivity in the green spectral region and high modulation depth of the refractive index in the optically recorded elements are determined by the redistribution of combined monomers and silica nanoparticles, by the property of initiators of polymerization as well as by the parameters of recording process. The developed materials and methods can be used for creation of versatile photonic elements, for manipulation of optical wavefronts or beam propagation, for optical sensing.