Optical intensity modulator based on a novel electrooptic polymer incorporating high /spl mu//spl beta/ chromophore

Author

Lee, Sang-Shin ; Garner, Sean M. ; Chuyanov, Vadim ; Zhang, Hua ; Steier, William H. ; Wang, Fang ; Dalton, Larry R. ; Udupa, Anand H. ; Fetterman, Harold R.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng.-Electrophys., Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Volume

36

Issue

5

fYear

2000

fDate

5/1/2000 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

527

Lastpage

532

Abstract

We have synthesized a novel electrooptic (EO) polymer based on a high /spl mu//spl beta/ chromophore incorporating tricyanobutadiene acceptors. A crosslinked polyurethane network was also adopted to enhance its thermal stability. In order to find the optimum poling condition for the polymer, the influence of the electric poling profile on optical characteristics such as the EO effect, thermal stability, and damage was investigated. Then a high-speed intensity modulator using the EO polymer was designed and fabricated. The measured half-wave voltage V/sub /spl pi// was 4.5 V at the wavelength of 1.31 /spl mu/m. Accordingly, the achieved EO coefficient r/sub 33/ was as high as 25 pm/V, and the thermal stability of the poled polymer was as high as 95/spl deg/C. Finally, the modulator was successfully operated up to 40 GHz.

Keywords

dielectric polarisation; electro-optical modulation; high-speed optical techniques; intensity modulation; optical communication equipment; optical design techniques; optical fabrication; optical fibre communication; optical polymers; thermal stability; 1.31 mum; 4.5 V; 40 GHz; crosslinked polyurethane network; damage; design; electric poling profile; electro-optical effect; electrooptic polymer; fabrication; half-wave voltage; high /spl mu//spl beta/ chromophore; high-speed intensity modulator; modulator; optical characteristics; optical intensity modulator; optimum poling condition; poled polymer; polymer; thermal stability; tricyanobutadiene acceptors; Electrooptic effects; Electrooptic modulators; High speed optical techniques; Intensity modulation; Network synthesis; Optical modulation; Optical polymers; Thermal stability; Voltage measurement; Wavelength measurement;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9197

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/3.842093

Filename

842093