Abstract

Organic nonlinear optical (NLO) materials have the potential to become very important for making photonic devices that are inexpensive to produce, capable of being integrated with other electronics, and suitable for ultrahigh frequency broadband operation [1]. 40 GHz electro-optic (E-O) modulation from a Mach-Zehnder intensity modulator has been demonstrated with thermal plastic polymers [2]. We have reported fabrication of traveling wave E-0 phase modulators using a thermally cross-linked NLO polymer, PURDR 19 [3, 4]. Our devices have exhibited good temporal stability and optical power handling capability, and were tested up to 40 GHz [5]. In this paper, we report our new measurement results up to 60 GHz obtained with an optical heterodyne detection technique. This is the highest modulation frequency reported so far for polymer E-0 modulators.

© 1995 Optical Society of America