High-bandwidth polymer in-line fiber modulator

Andre Knoesen; Scott A. Hamilton; Diego R. Yankelevich; Robert T. Weverka; Richard A. Hill; Gary C. Bjorklund

doi:10.1117/12.279316

13 October 1997 High-bandwidth polymer in-line fiber modulator

Andre Knoesen, Scott A. Hamilton, Diego R. Yankelevich, Robert T. Weverka, Richard A. Hill, Gary C. Bjorklund

Proceedings Volume 3147, Nonlinear Optical Properties of Organic Materials X; (1997) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.279316
Event: Optical Science, Engineering and Instrumentation '97, 1997, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

We are developing a traveling electro-optic modulator for analog microwave modulated fiber optic links used in radar applications. The modulator is a polymer in-line fiber device that has a rugged and low loss interface to single mode fibers and can be engineered to provide linear modulation over a large dynamic range. In the development of the modulator we take advantage of a variety properties available in polymers. The ability to deposit a conformal electro-optic thin film is used to fill the gaps between high-frequency co-planar electrodes and thus obtain a good overlap between the electric field produced by the the microwave electrodes and the fields in the optical fiber and the electro-optic waveguide. Reactive ion etching of the electro-optic polymer is used to trim the thickness of the polymer waveguide to obtain operation at a specific wavelength. The thermo-optic effect is used to fine tune the operation point of the modulator to obtain a large dynamic range. The geometry of the modulator permits operation close to the absorption peak of the electro-optic polymer and this provides the opportunity to take advantage of the resonant enhancement of the nonlinearity in the vicinity of an absorption band.

Citation Download Citation

Andre Knoesen, Scott A. Hamilton, Diego R. Yankelevich, Robert T. Weverka, Richard A. Hill, and Gary C. Bjorklund "High-bandwidth polymer in-line fiber modulator", Proc. SPIE 3147, Nonlinear Optical Properties of Organic Materials X, (13 October 1997); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.279316

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