A Routing Algorithm for Additively Manufactured Planar Optical Networks

Modern printing techniques, such as flexographic printing, enable the production of large-area optical sensor networks at low costs. This results in numerous applications in the fields of optical data processing, optical sensor technology or point-of-care systems. The design of these additively manufactured network structures requires novel routing algorithms, since the geometry of these optical networks, in contrast to electrical circuits, has a strong influence on the signal attenuation. First, the geometry has to be bend free along the optical paths. Furthermore, the curvature radius of the individual waveguides and the distance between the individual optical components are dominant factors. For this purpose, ideal connection paths between the optical components are calculated and optimal positions for the components are selected. Additionally, the geometry of connection devices, such as Splitters, Combiner and Intersection, are optimized, resulting in a low-attenuation layout.