A waveguide includes a segment with a substantially uniform cure profile and related methods and systems for making and using the same. The waveguide is formed by modifying a laser beam used to write the waveguide to provide a substantially uniform cure profile in the waveguide. A marker characteristic of laser writing may be present in the waveguide. A method or system modifies an intensity profile or a shape profile of a laser beam to proactively compensate for exposure convolution based on the characteristics of the laser beam spot profile. A convolution compensator is positioned in the path of the laser beam to modify the beam spot profile during writing to form the one or more segments of the waveguide in a photo-curable layer.