Polymeric Integrated Electro-Optic Modulators

G. H. Cross; A. Donaldson; R. W. Gymer; S. Mann; N. J. Parsons; D. R. Haas; H. T. Man; H. N. Yoon

doi:10.1117/12.963321

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5 January 1990 Polymeric Integrated Electro-Optic Modulators

G. H. Cross; A. Donaldson; R. W. Gymer; S. Mann; N. J. Parsons; D. R. Haas; H. T. Man; H. N. Yoon

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Proceedings Volume 1177, Integrated Optics and Optoelectronics; (1990) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.963321
Event: OE/FIBERS '89, 1989, Boston, United States

Abstract

Polymeric optical waveguides for integrated optical devices are of current interest for their potential application in very high bandwidth opto-electronic systems. We report our progress in defining and characterising channel waveguides in polymers having large electro-optic coefficients. The waveguide patterns are formed as etched channels in a polymer cladding layer. Further layers deposited onto these channels form 2-dimensional waveguides with monomode characteristics at a wavelength of 1.3 microns. The mode size is controllable and may be optimised for fibre mode coupling to minimise the coupling loss. Electro-optic phase and amplitude modulation is demonstrated for slab and channel waveguides. We report values for the off-resonance electro-optic coefficient in poled polymer films somewhat higher than the largest value in lithium niobate. The implications of such device structures for applications in high performance multi-GHz amplitude modulators are discussed. In particular, the large values of n3r and the near equality of the optical and microwave refractive indices indicates that these polymers will have significant advantage over traditional inorganic materials for wide bandwidth integrated optical modulators.

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G. H. Cross, A. Donaldson, R. W. Gymer, S. Mann, N. J. Parsons, D. R. Haas, H. T. Man, and H. N. Yoon "Polymeric Integrated Electro-Optic Modulators", Proc. SPIE 1177, Integrated Optics and Optoelectronics, (5 January 1990); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.963321

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