The future of short-range high-speed data transmission: printed polymer optical waveguides (POW) innovation, fabrication, and challenges

One of today’s megatrends in the industrial environment is additive manufacturing. Faster prototyping, customized products like hearing devices, integrated functions like heatsinks and many other opportunities are offered by this technological development. The opportunity of using different materials and build up 3-D structures is virtually infinite. Another one is the digitalization of almost any product to build up a smart world. This trend leads to a tremendously rising amount of data to be transferred from one place to another. If a wireless transmission is not possible and if the distance is over 100 m glass fiber is the fastest and most secure way for these requirements. In case of most short-range applications up to 100 m primary copper cables or circuit paths are in use because the electrical data transfer is well known. The limited bandwidth of copper asks for new inventions to meet the demands of tomorrow. Regarding both megatrends, the solution for this upcoming bottleneck could be 3-D printed photonic packages. This paper shows a new and innovative way for the customized fabricating of short-range data transmission networks. By Aerosol Jet Printing (AJP) the so called polymer optical waveguides (POW), it is possible to build up 3-D printed light guiding structures with low attenuation on almost any three-dimensional surface. The main advantages of the here presented research are high flexibility, low weight and low costs. After three years of intensive studies the most important key facts (machine settings, geometry, performance) are summarized in this publication.