Abstract

In travelling-wave electro-optic modulation, the index mismatch between the optical and the RF waves $\Delta \text{n}=\sqrt{\epsilon }-\text{n}$, where ε is the effective dielectric constant and n is the effective refractive index of the medium, is one of the major factors which limit the bandwidth of the device. Nonlinear optical (NLO) polymers offer unique advantages for high speed travelling-wave design by virtue of their low dielectric constant resulting in a near perfect velocity matching between the optical and the RF wavevectors^1,2. In this paper, an electro-optic Mach Zehnder intensity modulator with more than 40 GHz of 3-dB electrical bandwidth in a nonlinear optical polymer developed by Hoechst Celanese is reported. Low drive voltages were achieved with a travelling-wave electrode length of 12 mm.

© 1992 Optical Society of America